Michel Croisé (left) and Caroline Aelvoet (right) | Photo credit: Sodexo

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Caroline Aelvoet has been appointed as the new CEO of Sodexo Belgium, effective 1 September 2023. 

The catering and foodservice group said Aelvoet is the ideal candidate to drive Sodexo Belgium’s ‘sustainable human-centric growth’. She will succeed Michel Croisé, who has held the CEO position since 2005. 

Aelvoet joined Sodexo as a legal advisor in 2008 and became Director of Human Resources in September 2020. She is credited with successfully implementing new policies during the pandemic to strengthen employee relations and wellbeing. 

“Just as I was convinced in 2020 that Caroline was the best candidate for the position of HR Director, I am convinced today that with her, Sodexo will continue to develop as a company that makes people's lives more beautiful. Her strategic vision, her perseverance and her empathy make her the person Sodexo needs to meet the challenges ahead,” Croisé said. 

Sodexo Belgium, a subsidiary of the French catering and foodservice group Sodexo, provides food and beverage catering services across offices, hospitals, leisure facilities and educational campuses. The business is due to relocate to a new headquarters in Brussels in January 2024. 

Founded in Marseille in 1966, Sodexo currently operates across 53 countries. In April 2023, the catering and foodservice group reported 18% year-on-year revenue growth to reach €12.1bn ($13.2bn) for the six months ended 28 February 2023, while group net profit increased 30% to €440m ($480m). 

The business, which achieved full-year revenues of €21.1bn ($21.2bn) in the 12 months ended 31 August 2022, has also outlined plans to spin off its Benefits and Rewards Services workplace voucher business in 2024.  

The division supplies vouchers to businesses for use by employees to be redeemed for a range of services, from ordering food to accessing health and well-being benefits. Sodexo believes the segment has an addressable market of €1tr ($1.1tr), growing at 10% per annum.