Sodexo Earns International Recognition at Hobart and William Smith Colleges

GAITHERSBURG, Md., Sept. 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Sodexo, a facilities management and a food services company committed to improving Quality of Life, partnered with Hobart and William Smith (HWS) Colleges to earn ISO 55001 certification  from the International Standards Organization (ISO) for its Asset Management Framework methodology for facilities.

The ISO 55001 certification at HWS, Sodexo's first in the United States, validates the establishment, implementation, maintenance and improvement of the company's physical assets management system in a manner that is predictable and repeatable. The benefit is an optimized life-cycle of the infrastructure and the assets of Hobart and William Smith's campus, optimized maintenance and investment costs as well as improved day to day availability of all equipment and installations on campus.

"Sodexo's experience of over 30 years successfully managing facilities at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, made pursuing the operational excellence prescribed by the ISO 55001 standard a logical next step in strengthening our partnership," says Satya Menard, Sodexo's Global CEO, Schools & Universities Worldwide.  "The opportunities for ISO 55001 certification in the United States are vast. The benefits of this certification for Universities and Schools are not only financial but also qualitative with improved safety and comfort which drive a better life on campuses for the students, faculty and staff."

"Our longtime partnership with Sodexo is vital to our work providing students with a robust residential higher education experience," says Carolee White, chief financial officer and vice president of finance and administration at HWS. "This validation by the ISO acknowledges not only the essential and outstanding work of Sodexo employees on campus but their commitment, and that of the Colleges, to push constantly toward better and better services for the HWS community."

Sodexo selected its operation at HWS for the first deployment of the company's facilities management methodology, the Asset Management Framework (AMF), based on the strong and longstanding relationship between the Colleges and Sodexo, as well as the strength of the company's team on campus. 

"We are extremely proud to have achieved ISO 55001 certification which attests to our success in delivering best in class operational technical maintenance service," says Kwabena Okrah, Sodexo's vice president of asset management and technical services for North America. "The value we create through this certification is in proving success of our AMF methodology, and highlighting the talent of our on-site team. The team's stewardship of our client's property has made them a trusted advisor, and their deliberate attention to our client's intrinsic needs has enabled us to create and sustain an exceptional experience on campus."

First published in 2014 and updated in 2016, the ISO 55001 standard was developed by the ISO Committee TC251 consisting of international experts in facilities management and asset lifecycle management with 31 countries participating. Prior to this successful certification at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Sodexo has already achieved ISO 55001 success in certifying the operations of facilities of European, South American and Asian clients. The data-fueled approach prescribed by ISO 55001 provides benchmark measurements for clients and helps to fine tune decisions or actions to close gaps and achieve operational excellence.

Sodexo Universities has provided full facilities service to the Colleges' approximate 2,400 students, faculty, staff, and administration employees since August of 1988.

About Sodexo North America
Sodexo North America is headquartered in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area and is part of a global, Fortune 500 company with a presence in 80 countries. Sodexo is a leading provider of integrated food, facilities management and other services that enhance organizational performance, contribute to local communities and improve quality of life for millions of customers in corporate, education, healthcare, senior living, sports and leisure, government and other environments daily.  The company employs 150,000 people at 13,000 sites in all 50 U.S. states and Canada and indirectly supports tens of thousands of jobs through its annual purchases of $9.2 billion in goods and services from small to large American businesses. Sodexo is committed to supporting diversity and inclusion and safety, while upholding the highest standards of corporate responsibility and ethical business conduct. In support of local communities across the U.S., the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation has contributed close to $32 million over the past 20 years to help feed children in America impacted by hunger.  To learn more about Sodexo, visit us.sodexo.com and connect with us on us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube. 

Contact: Alexandra Cauberghs, [email protected], 301-233-7507

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