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Report of the month

February 2008
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Sodexo

Issy-Les-Moulineaux, France



Report Facts

Company name: SODEXO S.A.
Fiscal year end: August 31, 2007
Report title: In 2008, Sodexo is changing the Group’s name and rejuvenating its visual identity
Chairman: Pierre Bellon
Chief Executive Officer: Michel Landel
Number of books: 2
Report length: 102 +250 pages
Auditors: PricewaterhouseCoopers - KPMG
Design agencies: Terre de Sienne (report), Labrador (reference document), Xplicite (coordination)
E-mail: financial.communication@sodexo.com

Report Rating

4/5

(Rating scale below)

Profile-Mission (Excerpts, as from the report)

No. 1 worldwide in Foodservices (health care, seniors, education); No. 2 worldwide in corporate services and remote sites; No. 2 worldwide in service vouchers and cards.(p 1) (Italics are own company’s words)
Clients include: Eiffel Tower, Swedish Armed Forces, KLM, UBS, City of Marseilles, Fundacion Caixa…

Key Figures

Revenues: € 13.4 billion
Employees: 342,380
Operating sites: 28,896
Operating profit: € 640 million
Net profit: € 347 million
Earnings per share: € 2.22
Net dividend: € 1.15 (subject to approval)
Debt to equity: 5%
(Source: figures sourced from the annual report)

Some Competitors

  • COMPASS
  • ARAMARK
  • AUTOGRILL
  • ELIOR
 

Very good

> Very well-achieved and explained rebranding exercise, from cover to cover, threaded (literally) through text, data and visual ingredients. That includes a one-page explanation for What does the star stand for? The renewed -more than totally new- identity is explained by the Chairman himself who also stresses that In a world of “over-communication”, a strong, single global brand can be immediately identified… But also that any failure in performance can have repercussions on the whole Group by tarnishing its image.
> A company that sets an Ambition for 2015 and explains it convincingly: this makes a pleasant change from the prevailing short-termism. Strategic objectives are substantiated across the report, with items such as market trends and influencing factors put out a very communicative way (see Selected Page).
> Informative and well-structured review of operations.
> No unbridled creativity but a simple and consistently implemented layout with modern typography, an intensive use of visual ingredients, and, last but not least, a strong read appeal. Quite a feat for a 100-page document. Let us also note that even the usually tedious Reference Document (a French equivalent to the Form 10-K) is made very readable, too.
 

Good

> A financial summary introduced by the CEO that goes to the (main) point(s).
> Interview with an independent director. This is not common, and even less in a family-controlled company.
 

Buts

> No real in-depth financial analysis.
> Risk factors and management not much elaborated.
 

Responsible?

> Through issues such as Quality of life, serving patients, support to the elderly, people with disabilities, education, the report connects business and social responsibility issues briefly yet effectively.
 

How does the company report in key areas? What are the main report pluses and minuses? The Report Scan gives an overview of strengths and weaknesses, and scores each item.
Contact e.com@reportwatch.net

 

Selected Page

(p 74 of SODEXO Annual Report 2007)
p 74 of SODEXO Annual Report 2007
Rating Scale
5
First-Rate
4.5
Excellent
4
Very good
3.5
Sound
3
Average
2.5
Uneven
2
Common
1.5
Substandard
1
Poor
0.5
Uncompetitive
The rating is based on ReportWatch internal desk research and does not take into account the independent Rating Panel’s judgment.