GILLES PÉLISSON
Born May 26, 1957
French nationality
Graduate of ESSEC and MBA from Harvard Business School
First appointed: December 15, 2023
Expiration of current term: at the Annual Shareholders Meeting held to adopt the Fiscal 2026 financial statements.
Chairman of the Nominating Committee and member of the Sustainability Committee
Competencies
Number of Sodexo shares held: 750
Main role: President, Unifrance
Business address:
Sodexo
255, quai de la Bataille-de-Stalingrad
92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux (France)
Background
Gilles Pélisson began his career in 1983 with the Accor group, first in the United States and then in the Asia-Pacific region. He served as Chief Executive Officer of the Courtepaille restaurant chain and co-Chairman of the Novotel hotel chain. He was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Euro Disney in 1995 and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer in 1997. He moved to the Suez group in 2000 and then to Bouygues Telecom in June 2001, where he served as Chief Executive Officer, and then Chairman and Chief Executive Officer from February 2004. He was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Accor in January 2006, then served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer until January 2011.
From 2011 to 2015 he was an independent Director of Bic, Barrière (hotels and casinos in France), NH Hotels (Spain) and Sun Resorts International (Mauritius), and Senior Advisor to the Jefferies investment bank (New York).
Director of TF1 since 2009, Gilles Pélisson was Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of TF1 group from 2016 until February 2023.
President of the Board of Institut Lyfe (formerly Institut Paul Bocuse) and President of Unifrance, Gilles Pélisson also served as a Director of Accenture PLC (United States) from 2012 to 2025, including as Lead Director from 2020 to 2025. In September 2025, he joined the consulting firm Oliver Wyman as Senior Advisor.
Gilles Pélisson brings 40 years of extensive operational experience in international environments, strong experience as a Director and a thorough understanding of Corporate Governance. He also has recognized expertise in environmental matters, having led groups particularly exposed to carbon footprint challenges.
Other positions and corporate offices held
Companies linked to Sodexo
FRENCH COMPANIES
None
FOREIGN COMPANIES
None
Companies linked to Sodexo
FRENCH COMPANIES
- President: Institut Lyfe (previously Institut Paul Bocuse), and Unifrance (France)
- Director: Peugeot Frères Industries (France)
FOREIGN COMPANIES
None
Other positions and corporate offices held within the past five years but no longer held
- Lead Director: Accenture PLC (United States) (Term ended: February 2025)
- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer: TF1 (France)* (Term ended: February 2023)