Renato’s story: one company, half a lifetime’s work

I’ve been with Sodexo since I was 22 years old and I’m 45 now, so that’s half of my life and practically my entire career path. I can honestly say that Sodexo is my second home. It’s where I’ve realized my dreams, and met incredible people who have helped me develop and discover who I am.

Growing up, I had ambitions. At 16 I started working in shops and small businesses in my local neighborhood. When my siblings started to realize their own goals and moved to another city in São Paulo state looking for professional and social growth, I wanted to follow their lead.

My sister was already working for Sodexo and encouraged me to join. I’d never worked in such a large and structured company before and at first, I didn't understand the potential it offered me to grow. But over time, that changed, and I began to realize – and grasp – the chance to transform my professional ambitions into reality.

As someone who is always very curious and eager to learn, I started covering colleagues’ vacations in the personnel administration sector, then gained experience in contract billing, supporting events and special services, as well as inventory management and logistics. Building up this breadth of expertise opened doors for me to support contract mobilizations and learn more about planning and cost control. I completed a college course and reached unit manager level, assigned to a major new client. It came with a host of responsibilities that spanned personal administration, billing, equipment maintenance and managing food and facilities services – again, more chances to learn new skills. 

In 2022, I moved into my current role, as an executive retention consultant in Brazil’s Clients for Life team. Our purpose is to support the region’s segment teams to retain our client portfolio and strengthen our strategic partnerships. It’s an exciting role as it helps me turn a spotlight on what makes us a successful business, and what more we need to do to expand. Good relationships are at the heart of achieving good results. 

A sense of belonging in a company that truly values culture

Sodexo has changed as a business and I’ve seen many evolutions. It’s like life; you develop and grow over time. Brazil is a diverse country, with a culture based on diverse ethnicities and origins, which brings a wonderful perspective in terms of plurality, but challenges regarding social equity. I now take a lot of pleasure in seeing how focused Sodexo is on in terms of social inclusion. This gives me, and others, a sense of belonging and opens many doors for those who want to work in a welcoming environment where they can perform at their best.