Sara’s story: bringing the personal touch to a global client

I was on a train the other day and overheard two girls trying to work out the next stage of their journey, within a couple of minutes I’d mapped out their entire trip and given them some sightseeing tips. This perfectly sums up why a career in hospitality and my role at Sodexo as a front of house manager suits me so well. I just can’t help helping people! I always want to make a positive difference in somebody’s day.

I joined the business in 2024 and head a team of three looking after a major client’s employees and visitors at their global headquarters in London.

Having arrived from my native Italy in 2018 with sales assistant experience and four languages, I quickly found my first role in hospitality.

Starting out as a waitress, I then moved to chef assistant followed by other back of house roles, before landing a hotel receptionist position. I was able to progress to supervisor level with the same hotel and went on to secure duty manager responsibility in a boutique hotel. 

There was always somebody around who’d say welcome; everyone was so nice and warm. It’s a quiet, peaceful warmth that doesn't really stand out but when it's not there – and it isn’t in many companies – you notice it.

It’s that ‘one team’ approach that stuck with me from the beginning – the culture, the values, the care for people, the personal growth and the opportunities you can get. I feel that even though I’m part of a big global company, I matter. It’s a feeling of belonging that has only grown stronger.