Success stories
Sebastian Rodriguez Illanes joined Sodexo Chile as a Quality Auditor before being promoted to District Manager.
"I joined Sodexo Chile in December 2001 as a Quality Auditor, but my supervisors soon gave me the opportunity to take on additional responsibilities. I was quickly assigned as site manager, with the goal of improving profits on a complex project that had been incurring heavy losses and experiencing serious operational problems.
The unconditional support of my supervisors allowed me to take risks and I did a good job. Thanks to new contracts signed with my clients and improved margins in my area, I was promoted to District Manager in July 2002.
With each new assignment, I've also received training to improve my skills and to ensure quality services and sound contract management. In my years with Sodexo, I've earned three diplomas: in service industry administration and technologies, in business administration and a specialized degree as head auditor in quality management systems. We're also regularly offered training in other areas, ranging from retailing to coaching.
My growth and development at Sodexo have been made possible by the genuine recognition of my accomplishments over the years. This development has always required great personal efforts, which were also appreciated by my superiors. While I've advanced quickly at Sodexo, I've made my share of mistakes, but these were always analyzed constructively with my supervisor. In this way, I learned to take initiative without worrying about failure.
At Sodexo, the climate of trust, recognition and transparent goals has given me the incentive to confront new challenges and take new risks.
The fact that I've always been able to rely on motivated teams has also been a factor in my success. I'm responsible for more than 15 site managers, each of whom manages his own team yet remains highly focused on achieving our common objectives.
Today, I'm faced with the challenge of identifying new services to offer my clients, especially non-food services. I also need to train unified, independent teams that are focused on results and innovation, and to create a healthy work environment."
Sebastian Rodriguez Illanes
(joined Sodexo in December 2001)
Service spirit
Team spirit
Spirit of progress
