Thierry Delaporte
| Thierry Delaporte | |
| Nationality | French |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Business executive |
| Title | Chief Executive Officer, Sodexo |
| Employer | Sodexo |
| Known for | CEO of Sodexo, former CEO of Wipro Limited |
Thierry Delaporte is a French business executive who serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Sodexo, the multinational food services and facilities management company headquartered in Issy-les-Moulineaux, France. He assumed the role effective 10 November 2025, following his appointment by the Sodexo Board of Directors on 7 October 2025.[1] Prior to joining Sodexo, Delaporte was known for his tenure as CEO of Wipro Limited, one of India's largest information technology services companies. His appointment at Sodexo marked a significant shift in the company's governance structure, as the firm adopted a dissociated governance model separating the roles of Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer.[2] Delaporte's career has spanned senior leadership positions across multiple industries and geographies, establishing him as a figure in international corporate management.
Career
Early career and Capgemini
Before rising to prominence as a technology sector CEO, Thierry Delaporte built a career in management consulting and information technology services. He spent more than two decades at Capgemini, the French multinational IT services and consulting company, where he held a series of progressively senior positions. His work at Capgemini provided extensive experience in managing large-scale technology operations across global markets.
CEO of Wipro Limited
Delaporte served as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Wipro Limited, one of the largest IT services companies in India. During his time at Wipro, Delaporte led strategic initiatives aimed at repositioning the company in the competitive global IT services market. His leadership of Wipro, an Indian technology firm listed on both the Bombay Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange, gave him significant experience managing a large, publicly traded multinational enterprise with operations spanning numerous countries.
Appointment as CEO of Sodexo
On 7 October 2025, the Board of Directors of Sodexo announced the appointment of Thierry Delaporte as Group Chief Executive Officer, effective 10 November 2025.[1] The appointment was part of a broader governance restructuring at Sodexo, which adopted a dissociated governance model. Under this new structure, the roles of Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer were separated, a departure from the previous combined leadership model.[2][3]
The decision to bring in Delaporte and restructure governance was reported as a strategic move to strengthen the company's leadership framework and operational agility.[2] Multiple financial and industry news outlets covered the appointment, noting its significance for one of Europe's largest food services and facilities management companies.[4][5][6]
Sodexo, founded by Pierre Bellon in Marseille, operates in 55 countries, employs approximately 522,000 people, and serves 100 million customers daily.[1] For fiscal year 2023, the company reported revenues of €28.1 billion and an underlying operating profit of €699 million.[1] As Europe's second-largest food services company by revenue and number of employees, after Compass Group, Sodexo's operations span private corporations, government agencies, educational institutions, healthcare facilities, military bases, and correctional facilities.
North America leadership expansion
Shortly after assuming the CEO role, Delaporte expanded his responsibilities to include direct leadership of Sodexo's North America operations. The company announced the change in November 2025, signaling Delaporte's intention to take a hands-on approach to one of the company's most significant regional markets.[7]
Organizational restructuring
In February 2026, Delaporte announced a new Global Executive Team and a simplified global leadership structure for Sodexo. The restructuring was designed to streamline decision-making processes and strengthen proximity between the company's leadership and its operations across markets worldwide.[8] This organizational redesign represented one of Delaporte's first major structural initiatives as CEO, reflecting his approach to corporate management through simplified reporting lines and enhanced operational efficiency.
The announcement of the new executive team came approximately three months into Delaporte's tenure, indicating a rapid pace of change following his appointment. The reorganization was consistent with the broader governance transformation that had accompanied his hiring, as the company sought to modernize its leadership framework under the new dissociated governance model.[8][2]
Sodexo
Sodexo S.A., the company Delaporte leads as CEO, is a Société Anonyme listed on the Euronext Paris stock exchange and a component of the CAC Next 20 index.[1] The company was originally founded as Société d'Exploitation Hôtelière by Pierre Bellon in Marseille, France, and later adopted the Sodexo name. The company changed its name from "Sodexho" to "Sodexo" as part of a rebranding effort.[9]
The company provides foodservice, facility management, and service voucher solutions across a wide range of sectors. Sodexo's clients include private corporations, government agencies, schools ranging from preschool through university level (including seminaries and trade schools), hospitals and clinics, assisted-living facilities, military bases, and correctional facilities. Through its subsidiary Sodexo Justice Services, the company has operated support services in prisons across multiple countries.
As of fiscal year 2023, Sodexo reported total assets of approximately €18.99 billion and shareholder equity of approximately €3.17 billion. The company employs 522,000 people across its global operations.
Delaporte's appointment represented a new chapter for the company, which had historically maintained a combined Chairman and CEO role. The transition to a dissociated governance model with Delaporte as CEO was described as a strategic evolution aimed at enhancing corporate governance and operational effectiveness.[3][6]
Recognition
Delaporte's appointment as CEO of Sodexo received substantial coverage in business and financial media. Publications including Business Chief, Investing.com, RTTNews, and Verdict Food Service reported on the appointment and the accompanying governance changes at Sodexo.[2][3][4][5] The coverage highlighted the significance of bringing in a leader with international technology sector experience to head one of Europe's largest food services and facilities management companies.
His prior role as CEO of Wipro Limited, a major Indian IT services company, brought him international recognition in the technology services industry. The transition from leading a technology services firm to heading a global food services and facilities management company underscored the breadth of Delaporte's executive experience across different industries and business models.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "Sodexo appoints Thierry Delaporte as Chief Executive Officer and adopts dissociated governance".Sodexo Group.2025-10-07.https://www.sodexo.com/news/newsroom/2025/Sodexo-appoints-new-ceo.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "How New Sodexo CEO Will Lead New Era Of Governance".Business Chief.2025-10-09.https://businesschief.com/news/how-new-sodexo-ceo-will-lead-new-era-of-governance.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Sodexo names Thierry Delaporte as new CEO in governance shift".Investing.com.2025-10-08.https://www.investing.com/news/company-news/sodexo-names-thierry-delaporte-as-new-ceo-in-governance-shift-93CH-4277789.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Sodexo Name Thierry Delaporte Group CEO".RTTNews.2025-10-08.https://www.rttnews.com/3580692/sodexo-name-thierry-delaporte-group-ceo.aspx.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Sodexo appoints Thierry Delaporte as new CEO".Verdict Food Service.2025-10-09.https://www.verdictfoodservice.com/news/sodexo-appoints-new-ceo/.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Sodexo appoints Thierry Delaporte as CEO, separating top roles".Investing.com.2025-10-09.https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/sodexo-appoints-thierry-delaporte-as-ceo-separating-top-roles-93CH-4278936.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
- ↑ "Sodexo Announces Change to North America Leadership".Sodexo Group.2025-11-17.https://www.sodexo.com/news/newsroom/2025/sodexo-announces-change-to-north-america-leadership.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Sodexo CEO Thierry Delaporte announces new Global Executive Team".Sodexo Group.2026-02-19.https://www.sodexo.com/news/newsroom/2026/New-Global-Executive-Team.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
- ↑ "Sodexho becomes Sodexo".Sodexo.2008.https://web.archive.org/web/20080704184550/http://www.sodexo.com/group_en/press/news/group/2008/sodexho-becomes-sodexo.asp.Retrieved 2026-02-24.