By Trish Freshwater

The hospitality industry offers a number of career opportunities at restaurants, hotels, resorts and other meeting locations. At Sodexo, our chefs and food service managers have the opportiunity to work in corporate and government locations, as well as hospitals, K-12 schools and colleges.

It is here that Sodexo’s catering managers, food operations and food services managers, concession managers and retail operations managers use their passion for food and great customer service to become leaders in the hospitality industry.

One such leader at Sodexo is Lorna Donatone, chief operating officer and Sodexo Education president. Sharing her passion for food service and the advancement of women, Donatone served as chair of the Women’s Foodservice Forum’s (WFF) Board of Directors from 2012-2013 and currently is a member of the organization’s Spokesperson Bureau. As past chair of WFF – the industry’s premier leadership development organization – Donatone helped guide the WFF in its mission to advance women in the foodservice industry.

Throughout her career, Donatone has long been a champion for women in the workplace. She encourages professional development through networking and mentoring and she’s been honored for her work empowering young women including national recognition from Girls Inc. in 2009 and a 2010 Ascendancy Award from w2wlink.

At Sodexo, Donatone overseas operations and strategic growth for the company at college and university campuses, public school districts and private schools. She has played a critical role in positioning Sodexo as a leader in student nutrition by focusing on the well-being of students and communities.

“Lorna is a role model for aspiring leaders within Sodexo and the industry at large,” said George Chavel, president and CEO of Sodexo. “Her passion for elevating women is exemplified by the emphasis she places on professional development, risk-taking and bringing your whole self to work.”
For food service managers seeking challenging and rewarding career opportunities, learn more about Sodexo’s Retail Food Service Manager roles in this video.

Other career opportunities at Sodexo include management positions in diverse areas from facilities engineering and construction to energy management, medical equipment care to patient care, tutoring and concierge services to in-home services, as well as wellness and nutrition to sustainable practices.

Additionally, Sodexo’s commitment to advancing employee careers can be seen through the numerous professional development and training offerings available each year to help employees apply their abilities in their current specialty or expand their ambitions into countless other disciplines.

To learn more about job openings at Sodexo, start your search here.

Trish Freshwater, APR, is an accomplished HR Talent and Project Leader with a rich experience in the field of human resources. Leveraging her accreditation in Public Relations, she has successfully bridged the gap between internal communications and HR, enhancing organizational coherence and productivity.