Chief Executive Officer 
President, Executive Committee 
Member of the Board of Directors  
President, Sodexo STOP Hunger Association

Taking over from Pierre Bellon, who founded Sodexo in Marseilles, France in 1966, Michel Landel was appointed Group CEO in September 2005. President of Sodexo's Executive Committee, he also became a member of the Board of Directors in January 2009.  

After his studies at the European Business School in France, England and Germany, Michel joined the Chase Manhattan Bank and then worked for Poliet group. He started his career at Sodexo in 1984, when he accepted the position of Chief Operating Manager for Eastern and North Africa. By 1986, he had been promoted to President of the Group's entire operations of Remote Sites in Africa.  In 1989 he took charge of the Group's North American operations.

In 1998, he successfully managed the merger between Sodexo's North American activities and Marriott Management Services, the top-ranked player in the American food services market. Under his leadership, Sodexo became a premier provider of Food and Facilities Management Services in North America, which currently generates 39.1% of the Group's consolidated revenues and employs more than 120,000 people.

In 1999, Michel Landel was named President and Chief Executive Officer of Sodexo, North America.  In 2000 he was appointed Vice President of the Group Executive Committee. 

In 1996 Michel initiated the STOP Hunger Sodexo Foundation where he remains the President today. This international program against hunger and malnutrition focuses on four areas of action: volunteering, sharing our expertise, food donations and financial donations. With over 362 major initiatives and partnerships with 237 NGOs and associations, STOP Hunger is active in 29 countries across the globe.

Throughout his career, Michel has been the recipient of many prestigious awards. Recognized as a champion of diversity, he received the CEO Leadership Award for Diversity Best Practices and the CEO Advocate of the Year by Asian Enterprise Magazine.

Born in 1951, Michel Landel is married and has three children.