Gaithersburg, Md., Dec. 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sodexo, a leader in food services and facilities management, announced today the organization’s recognition as a Best-of-the-Best Corporation for Inclusion named by the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) in collaboration with its partners in the National Business Inclusion Consortium (NBIC). Best of the Best Corporations are honored for their commitment to diversity and inclusion across all communities.

“Sodexo is a proud champion of diversity, equity, and inclusion,” said Darlene Fuller, Director of Supplier Diversity, Sodexo North America. “Additionally, we are proud to lead a diverse supplier program with more than 3030 vendors that mirror our company’s core values.”

Sodexo is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace for all. Additionally, Sodexo is active in seeking to bring diverse and small, local businesses into the organization’s network of suppliers, with a special focus on businesses owned by minorities, women, people with disabilities, the LGBT community, and veterans.

“The Best-of-the-Best designation honors corporations, including Sodexo, for their commitment to America’s diverse employees and business owners, which includes LGBT people, people of color, women, and people with disabilities,” said NGLCC Co-Founder and President Justin Nelson. “This designation is highly competitive and is bestowed only to corporations that we see constantly striving to strengthen and celebrate diversity. These corporations being honored are true leaders in ongoing global commitments to create a better future for all diverse communities in business-- especially as we work to help all our communities recover equitably from the pandemic.”

Sodexo’s greater diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts are consistently recognized by external organizations and notable diversity publications. In 2021, Sodexo has been rated a best place to work for disability inclusion, receiving 100 percent on the Disability Equality Index, scored 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index, and was named to Bloomberg’s Gender-Equality Index as well as FORTUNE’s list of the World’s most Admired Companies.

About NGLCC

The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce is the business voice of the LGBT community and is the largest global organization specifically dedicated to expanding economic opportunities and advancements for LGBT people. NGLCC is the exclusive certification body for LGBT-owned businesses.

About Sodexo North America

Sodexo North America is part of a global, Fortune 500 company with a presence in 56 countries. Sodexo is a leading provider of integrated food, facilities management and other services that enhance organizational performance, contribute to local communities and improve quality of life for millions of customers in corporate, education, healthcare, senior living, government, Sodexo Live! and other environments daily. The company employs 125,000 people at thousands of sites in all 50 U.S. states, Canada, Puerto Rico and Guam, and indirectly supports tens of thousands of additional jobs through its annual purchases of $20B in goods and services from small to large businesses. Sodexo is committed to supporting diversity, equity, inclusion and safety, while upholding the highest standards of corporate responsibility and ethical business conduct. In support of local communities across the U.S., in 2021, the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation mobilized more than 11,000 volunteers to distribute 1.8 million meals to help 2.5 million children and adults meet their immediate food needs. Since 1996, the Stop Hunger Foundation has contributed $38 million to help feed children in America impacted by hunger. To learn more about Sodexo, visit us.sodexo.com, and connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.