Global visions
Tom Haywood was a student at the City of London Freemen's School - an Aramark education contract in Ashtead, Surrey - when he became aware of Aramark's business in the USA and the opportunities available. Later, at Bournemouth University, while studying leisure marketing, he contacted Aramark about a work placement to fulfil his degree. Before long he was off to Los Angeles.
What did you do?
Aramark arranged for me to work at the Staples Center stadium in Los Angeles from January to September last year. It was definitely the hardest work I have ever done - I did some very long hours, but I loved every minute of it. I received training in all aspects of the food and beverage operations, providing catering for many events such as the LA Lakers' NBA playoffs and Justin Timberlake concerts. This involved everything from being a warehouse runner to working closely with the operations manager.
What differences did you notice?
Previously, I had worked within Aramark's leisure division, Parallel, servicing London's West End theatres, so going to work in a huge state-of-the-art stadium was incredible.
Any surprises?
The most difficult, but also challenging, experience was the opening of a new soccer stadium and trying to train 200 employees for opening day.
What did you like most?
California is beautiful. I miss the people the most, the weather, the beaches - and baseball.
What didn't you like?
Rush hour. It was worse than the M25. The freeways are at a standstill, and the buses don't stop to pick anyone up, because they are already full after one stop.
What skills did you learn?
Other than learning to be a commissary cook or an operations manager catering for 20,000 fans, I have learnt many skills that I can use in everyday life. I have developed my communication skills, especially my personal skills when dealing with customers or employees.
What are the benefits of living abroad for your career?
Learning how to live and work in a new culture is one of the most exciting things a person can do. It feels like you are doing everything for the first time, and if you are outgoing enough, a whole new world opens up for you. America has always had the attitude that anything is possible. Before I lived there I disagreed, but now I can't wait to get back out there again.
American David Eckwall is currently vice-president of human resources for Compass in the USA. From 2001 to 2003 he was posted to the UK. He gives his perspective on working for Compass in this country.
Why were you posted to the UK?
The move was as much for my personal career development as it was for the professional challenge of integrating a huge operating company following Compass Group's merger with Granada.
What was your job?
I was the human resources director for Compass Group's business and industry sector, which also included the leisure and hospitality division. My objectives were to harmonise the Eurest and Sutcliffe businesses, align the management teams and HR, marketing and finance practices from both companies.
What differences did you notice about life in the UK? The regional differences across Great Britain. When you think that England and Wales are roughly the same size as South Carolina in the USA, it dawns on you how easy it can be to do business, meet with colleagues and get things done in another country in one day.
Living outside London, we found it challenging early on to find family-friendly restaurants, due to the absence of the big restaurant chains you find in the States, but it didn't take us long to find a few favourite spots. I still can't get over the price of petrol, but it won't be long before the USA catches up… we're already at $2 (£1.10) per gallon for four-star.
How did Compass in the UK compare with Compass in the USA? I found the business cultures in the UK and USA not too dissimilar, partly due to our growth as a global organisation and our ability to share information and best practices - and the changing nature of contract catering common to both countries. One of the obvious differences is employment law: TUPE in the UK versus "employment at will" in the USA. Also, there is a predominance of employment contracts and service agreements in the UK, and an absence of these in the USA.
Any funny experiences? When looking for a house we must have toured the entire area surrounding the M25. After about the second hour in the car with the estate agents driving, my wife turned to me with a terrified look and said: "David, why does he keeping turning around to talk to us when he should be keeping his eyes on the road?" I said: "It's OK for him to turn around - the seats are reversed, he is in the passenger seat."
What did you like most? We very much enjoyed the community and international spirit of our children's school and the overall diversity and tolerance of UK people.
What didn't you like? We struggled with the restaurant food but made up for that with the abundance of ready-to-eat HMR [home meal replacement] foods from the stores. I believe the cost of housing in the South-east will be an ongoing challenge for residents and employers.
What do you miss most from Britain? Besides the crisps, curry, ale and English football, I may be the first person to admit I miss the weather. I found it perfect for year-round gardening. But the richness of culture and diversity is what I miss most.
What skills did you learn in the UK? I learnt to be a better listener when I was in the UK, since I found much of what was unsaid to be as important as what was said. I'm now honing that skill back in the USA.
What are the benefits of living abroad for your career? Building contacts and relationships; sharpening management and leadership skills; validating and adjusting biases; broadening multicultural understanding and appreciation; and building a foundation for our children's future growth and development.
Frenchman Vincent Ribet has worked for Sodexho since he left school - but never in France. After stints in Africa and the Americas, he is currently based in London as director of operational management for the UK and Ireland. Here he talks about life in Argentina during the country's recent economic collapse:
What was your job? I was managing director of Sodexho Argentina, based in Buenos Aires, from 1998 to 2003. I had full responsibility for managing, operating and growing the business. Clients were international schools, prestigious private universities or teaching hospitals, and multinational companies like BP, Nestl‚, General Motors and Dupont. There were 14,000 staff.
How did you feel when you arrived? Anxious, as I couldn't speak the language. You have to adapt to your new environment. Simple things are very complicated, like what are the laws?
What differences did you notice? With unemployment quite high and lots of poverty, security is always on your mind. It is also a country of contrast, where in some areas it's very advanced and comparable or ahead of Europe (mobile phones, internet, creativity and design) and in others you are clearly in the Third World (bureaucracy, roads, social services). But everywhere you go people are keen to offer you hospitality and help, or share a drink, a meal or a family celebration, usually with lots of music, dance and joy.
What about Sodexho in Argentina? Sodexho Argentina is a young, 10-year-old company, made up of young, enthusiastic and dynamic people. It is growing very quickly - it tripled in size in the past five years - so you feel that everything is possible. The issue is coping with the pace. All the contracts are fixed-price, so there is a strong emphasis on financial performance and results. People are very informal, which helps communication, and they enjoy socialising and arguing about things for the fun of it.
Any surprises? People kiss a lot. At work every day colleagues kiss each other in the morning to say hello. When you visit a unit you'll receive a big kiss from the head chef! Or when you meet a client for the first time, if you are a man and she is a woman, you would usually kiss.
What did you like most about Argentina? Its nature leaves you breathless, from deserts in the north to glaciers in the south. I have, literally, touched whales on a boat trip. The Andes are beautiful, and always snow-capped, which is great for skiing. We have driven at a height of 6,000m across the Andes to Chile.
But the best thing is the people. It is a country that has suffered a lot politically and economically, but they always keep their spirit up. The meat and the wines are outstanding, too.
What didn't you like? You have to stay up very late. If you go to a restaurant at 9pm it is hardly open. A dinner party, even a business one, would not start before 10pm. And you are usually at work at 8am or 8.30am, so it's a very difficult rhythm to get used to. The bureaucracy, the corruption, the poor social services are not the best aspects of living in Argentina. And their driving is horrendous.
What skills did you learn in Argentina? You have to learn how to react very quickly. Things change extremely fast. In December 2001 we went from one peso equalling one dollar to one peso being worth 30 cents, and interest rates went up from 5% to 80%. One day you wake up and all the bank accounts are frozen, including the business's bank account. You have to keep yourself very well informed to be ahead of the game. That's true everywhere, but over there you are talking about minutes, not days or weeks.
How did you deal with the currency collapse? You have to find ways around it. With suppliers, you exchange services for goods, just like in the Middle Ages. You need to pay your employees, but because there's no money each government region started issuing bonds, which circulate. We began to accept them as payment and then used them to pay our staff.
The biggest challenge was the very high inflation. You have to renegotiate contracts, and any goodwill you have established goes out of the window. It's accepted that everyone is in survival mode. We reduced all the salaries. It was just a nightmare.
On a personal basis, your bank account is also frozen. Your wife calls to say there's money in a cashpoint on the other side of town, so you rush over there and, of course, there's a thousand people waiting.
The crisis started in December 2001. By 2003 stability was returning, and I handed over the company to a local director.
What have been the benefits of living abroad for your career? You learn how to read a situation, and humility and patience, as you have to prove yourself each time you start again in a new place. Many employers value that experience on your CV.
