Community Leader Forum – Orlando – Lorna Donatone, President, Sodexo North America and Global CEO of K-12 Schools

ORLANDO, FL – February 3, 2016 – On January 19, 2016, GrayRobinson’s Orlando office hosted a Community Leader Forum featuring Lorna Donatone, President of Sodexo North America and Global CEO of K-12 Schools. Her presentation was titled "Creating a High Performance Culture: Leveraging People, Progress and Partnerships in a Modern Economy."

On a daily basis Sodexo impacts the quality of life of over 17 million consumers in North America. This includes the food they serve and the facilities they visit. Their goal is to bring a global perspective to local communities. Donatone has personally visited India, Hong Kong, Singapore, and many countries throughout Europe. The common themes she has seen in her travels include helping young children stay in school, preparing them for what's next, and to generally focus on the well-roundedness of each student. She consistently has seen a concern for wellness; obesity presenting itself as a global issue. Sodexo is heavily focused on nutritional food and properly educating children around choosing the right food and understanding the impact that food has on their body.

Sodexo has high community involvement, engaging the people in the communities in which they live. Sustainability, diversity, and wellness are their top corporate responsibility programs. They are currently working on a three year evidence based program with the YMCA as part of their employment run wellness program; 45% of their employees participated in the launch. Read more about the Sodexo Foundation and their goal to end childhood hunger.

Donatone first joined Sodexo in 1999 and has held several key leadership roles in the company. She led Sodexo's business at nearly 500 public school districts and more than 850 college and university campuses, overseeing more than 70,000 employees. She began her career in public accounting with Deloitte and Touche and has worked in the airline, banking and high-tech industries. Donatone has a bachelor of science in management from Tulane University and a master's in business administration from Texas Christian University.

Through its Community Leader Forums, GrayRobinson brings together clients, attorneys and friends of the firm to hear high-profile business and community leaders and elected officials discuss issues of importance to the state of Florida.