Sodexo at CIIE Forum 2024: A Tribute to the Female Executives in Business Leadership

Shanghai, November 8, 2024 – At the 7th China International Import Expo (CIIE), Ms. Isabelle HANNEDOUCHE, Managing Director of Sodexo Greater China, was invited to participate in the forum organized by Forvis Mazars on "Unique Advantages of Female Executives: Leading New Opportunities amid Uncertainty”.

Mr. Remi Paul, CEO of Safran China, Mr. Jerome Vanachter, President of Lesaffre Greater China, Ms. Joyce Jing, CEO of ZW HR consulting, and many other industry leaders participated in this forum. Dr. Julie Laulusa, Member of Forvis Mazars Group Executive Board and Managing Partner of Forvis Mazars in China, hosted this forum. The panelists actively shared their insights on the unique leadership qualities and strategic thinking of female executives from different perspectives as female leaders, male leaders and professional HR consultant.

"New Era, Shared Future" is the theme of this year's CIIE. With their unique advantages in leadership, female executives are nowadays one of the most important driving forces of entrepreneurial innovation and evolution to navigate through a business environment full of uncertainties. This forum focused on the significance of gender diversity in enhancing the competitiveness of enterprises, exactly echoing the theme of CIIE.

"Gender balance is also a core issue that Sodexo has taken very seriously in recent years. It is worth noting that, when the composition of a team approaches gender balance, its overall performance, including the team's motivation and commitment, is far better than that of a gender-imbalanced team,” said Ms. Isabelle HANNEDOUCHE, and she summarized the three unique advantages of female executives: "Firstly, female executives are better at and more resilient in dealing with complicated situations. Secondly, female executives are willing to invest more in advance in the success of a project. Finally, I would like to emphasize that women have a more holistic perspective, more emotionally inclusive and empathetic, such that they are able to perceive nuances which are often overlooked by men. Based on these qualities, female executives are capable of making a significant contribution to the sustainable development of the company in a highly uncertain business environment.”

Today, AI technology and globalization are changing the world at an unprecedented rate, which leads to fast-paced market evolution. Ms. Isabelle HANNEDOUCHE believes that, in such an era, the traits of female executives can lead the companies along the right path towards success, which include: being open-minded, actively listening to the voices of the younger generation, and observing things from different perspectives; staying humble and making quick and agile decisions in complex environments; paying attention to the development of people, especially in the service industry, and maintaining warm-hearted communication with different stakeholders.

This forum vividly portrayed the unique value and unlimited potential of female executives in the new global economic landscape. As a global leader in sustainable food and valued experience, Sodexo will leverage its influence in the industry, and work together with all sectors of society to continue to create more opportunities to support better development of women in business and contribute to building an inclusive and diverse business world.