Confidence! Our ambition is to be the world leader in sustainable food and valued experiences at every moment in life: learn, work, heal and play. Today, we are enjoying great momentum, clearly reflected in our performance during the 2022 fiscal year, with revenues of 21.1 billion euros, up 21.2% and returning to pre-pandemic levels in the fourth quarter. Our operating margin rose by 170 basis points to reach 5%, and our Underlying net profit doubled. The Board demonstrated its confidence by proposing a dividend of 2.40 euros, up 20% vs last year.
I have confidence in our strategic plan to continue to accelerate Sodexo’s sustainable and profitable growth. The plan relies on clearly identified enablers: investments in tech and data, commercial excellence supported by strong brands and innovative offers, and the power of our supply chain.
I also have confidence in the solid foundations on which we are building the Group’s future: our cash-generative business model, strong positions in the major global markets, a diversified offering which meets the new expectations of consumers, a mission and a purpose that are differentiating, and our independence over the long term, which is guaranteed by our controlling family shareholding.
In short, I have confidence in the future! Sodexo has many assets: this is something of which I have long been convinced, and perhaps even more so since I took over as CEO in addition to my role as Chairwoman.
Our teams, of course. It is they who make Sodexo. The visits that I have made to our sites this year, to meet our clients and our employees, have filled me with pride. In an extremely volatile and complex environment, I was very impressed by our teams’ full commitment and agility: they are supporting Sodexo’s transformation with extraordinary dedication, always staying true to our values.
Attracting and retaining talent, enabling them to develop and do their best – these are, of course, key challenges for any business. But they are perhaps even more critical for us, since women and men are at the heart of our business model. I believe that this is my greatest responsibility as CEO and Chairwoman.
And it explains the positioning of our employee value proposition, as an extension to our purpose. Working with Sodexo is a chance to be part of something greater – because we believe our everyday actions have a big impact. It’s about belonging to a team and acting with purpose. It’s about enabling everyone to thrive in their own way.
And I would like to thank our teams for the wonderful work they do in delivering great service to our clients and consumers. Day in, day out, the work they do on the ground is helping to create a better everyday for everyone to build a better life for all.
“Our ambition is to be the world leader in sustainable food and valued experiences at every moment in life: learn, work, heal and play”.
