Sodexo opens regional hub in Singapore

FOOD catering and facility management giant Sodexo opened its regional headquarters in Singapore on Friday, as part of its Asia-Pacific expansion plans. Located in Fusionopolis, the new office will support Sodexo's operations in 15 countries within the region which employ some 60,000 people. It will also house the global team for its remote sites segment, which provides services such as accommodation and food services at offshore rigs and serves clients in more than 40 countries.

The Paris-listed company also announced that it was targeting a double-digit increase in revenue for the Asia-Pacific - which came to one billion euros (S$1.48 billion) for FY2014 - through organic growth for the next three to five years. Operating in 80 countries, Sodexo provides a broad range of services in eight segments: corporate, health care, defence, seniors, education, justice, remote sites, and sports and leisure. In Singapore, it has 1,000 on-site workers and serves 40,000 consumers daily.

A key reason for setting up in Fusionopolis is so the company can be closer to its clients and thus be able to develop new services with them, said Sodexo Asia-Pacific region chair Aurelien Sonet. Clients in the vicinity include GlaxoSmithKline, Unilever, National University Hospital, and United World College.