Sodexo Announces Progress in Commitment to Source $1 Billion in Products and Services from Micro, Small and Medium-Sized Businesses

GAITHERSBURG, Md., Sept. 19, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Two years ago, Sodexo, world leader of Quality of Life services, made a Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Commitment to Action to purchase globally $1 billion in products and services over three years from micro, small, and medium-size enterprises, especially those owned and operated by women. At the 2016 CGI Annual Meeting, Sodexo releases a new case study detailing the progress it has made to include reaching a spend of $506 million in its work with 4,700 small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) around the world.

SMEs account for 60 to 70 percent of GDP and 70 to 95 percent of total employment in developing economies. These enterprises provide a sustainable income for families and increase quality of life for the communities in which they operate.

"Small and medium enterprises are key engines of growth and job creation across the world today," said Dr. Rohini Anand, global chief diversity officer and senior vice president, corporate responsibility. "Supporting these groups in providing necessary products for our customers and helping to improve local economies is a key element of our supplier inclusion program."

In the U.S., 28 million small businesses account for over half of all sales in the country. When companies effectively integrate SMEs into their supply chains, the benefits for those companies, the SME owner, and the communities in which they operate, can be significant. Furthermore, a third of the world's SMEs in the formal sector are run by women. Promoting equal opportunities for women and men is an important part of strengthening the economies and communities where we work.

In addition to its ongoing work around the 2014 Commitment to Action, Sodexo will announce a brand new Commitment to Action that builds on creating a more diverse and inclusive supply chain and promoting gender equality in the workplace. Details will be announced at the 2016 Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting in New York on Tuesday, September 20.

Sodexo delivers more than 100 services across North America that enhance organizational performance, contribute to local communities and improve quality of life. The Fortune Global 500 company is a leader in delivering sustainable, integrated facilities management and foodservice operations.

To learn more about Sodexo, visit the corporate blog Sodexo Insights. The full case study can be accessed in the Sodexo Insights Research section.

About the Clinton Global Initiative
Established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), an initiative of the Clinton Foundation, convenes global leaders to create and implement solutions to the world's most pressing challenges. CGI Annual Meetings have brought together 190 sitting and former heads of state, more than 20 Nobel Prize laureates, and hundreds of leading CEOs, heads of foundations and NGOs, major philanthropists, and members of the media. To date, members of the CGI community have made more than 3,600 Commitments to Action, which have improved the lives of over 435 million people in more than 180 countries. For more information, visit clintonglobalinitiative.org and follow us on Twitter @ClintonGlobal and Facebook at facebook.com/clintonglobalinitiative.

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