From school age, I always wanted to be a cook and that’s what I trained for. After finishing my training, I spent some time travelling then returned to Germany to settle in Frankfurt. My catering career kickstarted with jobs in hotels and restaurants but the evening and weekend shifts didn’t really fit with home life. Through friends, I heard about Sodexo and I haven’t looked back.
You build solid relationships over time, and my teams have all given me something back, to help me develop as a manager. Although I’m in a managerial role now, you will still find me in the kitchen if I’m needed, preparing food or manning the dishwasher. We’re working as one; there’s no hierarchy to me.
Sodexo creates a great working environment for its employees and actively encourages people to develop and grow. That’s something that’s pushed me on in my own career. It’s how I approach my leadership with my teams – giving people the same opportunities to take the next step is important.
I have 126 locations in my remit and there’s an amazing spirit of collaboration. I thrive on that. Being able to meet colleagues at every level of the organization face to face and have a lively and regular exchange is energizing. We can feed off each other’s knowledge, share our highlights and benchmarks with each other and draw on the strengths of the wider team. Everyone has a different background.
Sodexo is an innovative business, pushing new technologies and challenging ourselves to be different. I love the freedom that gives me. I can work independently, manage my own schedule and drive innovations that inspire me, things like sustainability initiatives or accessibility issues.
Requirements can change quickly, and we need to be a strong partner for our customers – not only reacting but being proactive in working together to create flexible solutions long term.
