Prior to taking up her role as Sodexo’s Global chief diversity officer, Margot Slattery oversaw the companies operations in Ireland, where it delivers on-site catering and full service management to its varied client base from business, to healthcare, as its country president (CEO).
Sodexo Ireland is part of the French-owned Sodexo Group, the world’s largest multi-services company. Glanbia globally employs 6,900 people and Kerry Group 25,500. Sodexo has 4,000 staff in Ireland alone and 475,000 globally, such is the scale of the business.
Progression from the ground up
Margot grew up on a farm in Limerick, trained and worked as a chef internationally before joining Sodexo in 1991.
“I was on a trajectory in the food world and, to some degree, I came back into a more junior role when I joined Sodexo, in order to get into management. I was looking at that next phase of my career and I wanted to go beyond the kitchen and have a wider remit.
Chief diversity officer at Sodexo Margot Slattery speaking at the UCD leadership conference in February 2020.
“I started on one of the sites doing all the leg work, supporting the management teams, counting stock, working the nights and the weekends. After a number of years, I then took on my own ‘site’. I ran that as a manager and went to a bigger site and then to an even bigger site, changing job every two years, progressing to an area management role, to a district manager role, to account director, to divisional director and all the way up to managing director.”
Benefits and rewards is the third faction which is an employee incentivisation business that does not operate in Ireland
The organisation today is worth €21bn and operates in 72 countries. It has three key businesses; on-site services – supporting anything from a military site to a school or hospital. The second part is personal homecare services (PHS) of which Comfort Keepers is the Irish arm. Benefits and rewards is the third faction which is an employee incentivisation business that does not operate in Ireland.
Changing diets are an opportunity to innovate
Food is a major part of the Sodexo business and they do see the traditional (Irish) meal changing as a result of people now being much more travelled.
We were one of the first companies to sign up for Bord Bia Origin Green
“I am a total carnivore,” she jokes, “but now I eat more veg, beans and I am exploring foods more. Am I closed to eating a vegetarian meal? No I am not. The world is very open, but agriculture shouldn’t panic as there is a world for that product. We were one of the first companies to sign up for Bord Bia Origin Green. Sodexo uses all Irish products, where available in the market, which we have been doing for 15 years.”
Margot’s advice to new food producers is to think about who your customer is. “Who makes the decision on procurement? Most food is chosen by women. This is the opportunity for innovation.”
Putting diversity in the farming picture
Margot started her new role of global chief diversity officer last September. The company has faced challenges in some companies that they acquired (around race) but Margot is clear that this was not the genesis of their diversity and inclusion (D&I) strategy.
Most organisations and most leaders are conscious that this is something that they need to be doing
“We were growing and this (D&I) was a natural evolution. Our people are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT+), disabled, different races, different ethnicity, different origins, different generations and all of these are factors in attracting and retaining the best talent.
“Most organisations and most leaders are conscious that this is something that they need to be doing. However, the reality is that in Ireland and other countries, the numbers have not moved.”
Margot is conscious of the difference between talking the talk and delivery, pointing out that diversity is one thing and inclusion is another, with belonging also vital.
The women in my family have been amazing farmers
“You can put people with a 50:50 gender or ethnicity in any picture, but that does not mean that they feel included. We all know what it is like not to belong, not to be picked for a team. The dream world is for everyone to belong.
“The women in my family have been amazing farmers. In my experience the women were the ones that were keeping things together. But there are challenges to include females in farming. Just look at inheritance.
“I was told that I wouldn’t inherit the farm because I was a girl. Gender was a blocker so I had a double glass ceiling as I was also gay. Being from a small farming community, being a gay woman in work was easier than being a gay woman at home. It was work that turned the key for me. In farming, being LGBT+ is an area that needs more work.
“There is a need to be very inclusive of men as a lot of men are very lonely and bear a lot of things inside.
Being comfortable, in your family, your job and feeling safe and secure allows you to be that advocate
“Parents can have expectations that you will bring along the next generation and, if you are gay, parents can think that dream is dead. There is a need to have more and more people come out and be role models as there is no room for taboos when it comes to mental health. [Some] gay people have left farming and have lost the opportunity and that is a shame.
“Being comfortable, in your family, your job and feeling safe and secure allows you to be that advocate. Growing up, I would have been very fearful as the environment was very machismo. Now kids are coming out and they educate their parents and it is much more accepting.
“I don’t meet anyone and ask ‘Are you straight?’ but I have to bring that up in conversations almost every day. I am wearing a wedding ring and people ask me what my husband does and I have to say ‘Well no I am gay, my wife is...’.”
Margot says that although the gay community shouldn’t have to do this, there has to be a first and a second.
“I have to do it as if I deny it, I am making it harder for the next generation.”
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Prior to taking up her role as Sodexo’s Global chief diversity officer, Margot Slattery oversaw the companies operations in Ireland, where it delivers on-site catering and full service management to its varied client base from business, to healthcare, as its country president (CEO).
Sodexo Ireland is part of the French-owned Sodexo Group, the world’s largest multi-services company. Glanbia globally employs 6,900 people and Kerry Group 25,500. Sodexo has 4,000 staff in Ireland alone and 475,000 globally, such is the scale of the business.
Progression from the ground up
Margot grew up on a farm in Limerick, trained and worked as a chef internationally before joining Sodexo in 1991.
“I was on a trajectory in the food world and, to some degree, I came back into a more junior role when I joined Sodexo, in order to get into management. I was looking at that next phase of my career and I wanted to go beyond the kitchen and have a wider remit.
Chief diversity officer at Sodexo Margot Slattery speaking at the UCD leadership conference in February 2020.
“I started on one of the sites doing all the leg work, supporting the management teams, counting stock, working the nights and the weekends. After a number of years, I then took on my own ‘site’. I ran that as a manager and went to a bigger site and then to an even bigger site, changing job every two years, progressing to an area management role, to a district manager role, to account director, to divisional director and all the way up to managing director.”
Benefits and rewards is the third faction which is an employee incentivisation business that does not operate in Ireland
The organisation today is worth €21bn and operates in 72 countries. It has three key businesses; on-site services – supporting anything from a military site to a school or hospital. The second part is personal homecare services (PHS) of which Comfort Keepers is the Irish arm. Benefits and rewards is the third faction which is an employee incentivisation business that does not operate in Ireland.
Changing diets are an opportunity to innovate
Food is a major part of the Sodexo business and they do see the traditional (Irish) meal changing as a result of people now being much more travelled.
We were one of the first companies to sign up for Bord Bia Origin Green
“I am a total carnivore,” she jokes, “but now I eat more veg, beans and I am exploring foods more. Am I closed to eating a vegetarian meal? No I am not. The world is very open, but agriculture shouldn’t panic as there is a world for that product. We were one of the first companies to sign up for Bord Bia Origin Green. Sodexo uses all Irish products, where available in the market, which we have been doing for 15 years.”
Margot’s advice to new food producers is to think about who your customer is. “Who makes the decision on procurement? Most food is chosen by women. This is the opportunity for innovation.”
Putting diversity in the farming picture
Margot started her new role of global chief diversity officer last September. The company has faced challenges in some companies that they acquired (around race) but Margot is clear that this was not the genesis of their diversity and inclusion (D&I) strategy.
Most organisations and most leaders are conscious that this is something that they need to be doing
“We were growing and this (D&I) was a natural evolution. Our people are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT+), disabled, different races, different ethnicity, different origins, different generations and all of these are factors in attracting and retaining the best talent.
“Most organisations and most leaders are conscious that this is something that they need to be doing. However, the reality is that in Ireland and other countries, the numbers have not moved.”
Margot is conscious of the difference between talking the talk and delivery, pointing out that diversity is one thing and inclusion is another, with belonging also vital.
The women in my family have been amazing farmers
“You can put people with a 50:50 gender or ethnicity in any picture, but that does not mean that they feel included. We all know what it is like not to belong, not to be picked for a team. The dream world is for everyone to belong.
“The women in my family have been amazing farmers. In my experience the women were the ones that were keeping things together. But there are challenges to include females in farming. Just look at inheritance.
“I was told that I wouldn’t inherit the farm because I was a girl. Gender was a blocker so I had a double glass ceiling as I was also gay. Being from a small farming community, being a gay woman in work was easier than being a gay woman at home. It was work that turned the key for me. In farming, being LGBT+ is an area that needs more work.
“There is a need to be very inclusive of men as a lot of men are very lonely and bear a lot of things inside.
Being comfortable, in your family, your job and feeling safe and secure allows you to be that advocate
“Parents can have expectations that you will bring along the next generation and, if you are gay, parents can think that dream is dead. There is a need to have more and more people come out and be role models as there is no room for taboos when it comes to mental health. [Some] gay people have left farming and have lost the opportunity and that is a shame.
“Being comfortable, in your family, your job and feeling safe and secure allows you to be that advocate. Growing up, I would have been very fearful as the environment was very machismo. Now kids are coming out and they educate their parents and it is much more accepting.
“I don’t meet anyone and ask ‘Are you straight?’ but I have to bring that up in conversations almost every day. I am wearing a wedding ring and people ask me what my husband does and I have to say ‘Well no I am gay, my wife is...’.”
Margot says that although the gay community shouldn’t have to do this, there has to be a first and a second.
“I have to do it as if I deny it, I am making it harder for the next generation.”
Read more
Focus: A is for apprenticeship
Diversity in agriculture is a business issue - Ornua boss
'I want to teach women to play chess'
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