FMJ Facilities Management magazine providing industry-specific intelligence to FM and property professionals
Sodexo UK & Ireland has appointed Ming Lai as CEO for premium food, supporting its ambition to become the market leader in the food and support services in the UK and Ireland.
In this new role, Lai will have executive responsibility for The Good Eating Company and Fooditude and will work closely with Sodexo’s corporate services business.
Sodexo’s food ambition centres around delivering culinary excellence every day, with the company driving forward its strategy to create future-ready food services solutions, combining menu personalisation, automation and sustainability across its portfolio of distinctive food brands, which include:
- The Good Eating Company: bespoke high-end workplace dining solutions with a focus on quality, ESG and crafting exceptional food experiences.
- Fooditude: delivered-in food services model for kitchen-less offices offering seasonal, fresh, cooked-from-scratch buffet-style meals, prepped centrally and finished on-site.
- Modern Recipe: a contemporary all day corporate dining offer designed to foster connections, promote health and well-being with dishes developed using sustainably sourced ingredients.
- Kitchen Works: dining offer with menus focused on convenience, value, taste, nutrition and freshness, served in an environment where guests can truly relax and disconnect.
Commenting on his appointment Lai said: “Sodexo has a long culinary history and I am looking forward to supporting the business and its talented teams in reaffirming its heritage through the delivery of the food solutions which not only delight guests but that are innovative and market leading, blending the craft of cookery with new technologies that are seeing the industry shift from food services to food intelligence.”
Jean Renton, CEO Sodexo UK & Ireland said: “Ming brings with him a strong track record in driving growth, innovation and operational excellence with a people focused approach. Through all of our food brands we are delivering on our promise to provide expertly crafted food solutions which support our clients in a whole range of sectors. Ming’s proven commitment to operational excellence along with his people-focused approach will help elevate our proposition as we continue to deliver food excellence.”
According to the 2026 UK Facilities Management Market Research Report by askporter, facilities management professionals want clear, verifiable evidence of work being delivered, with teams that can communicate progress in real time. This requires technology that is affordable, intuitive, and quick to adopt.
Yet the report found that:
Over three quarters of FM professionals (76 per cent) experience operational inefficiencies caused by siloed software which results in a lack of real-time visibility.
Communications challenges lead to maintenance issues, with 73 per cent of teams being forced into reactive problem-solving on a weekly basis.
A worrying level of compliance gaps, with 44 per cent of admitting that half or less of their compliance tasks are tracked and automated within their systems.
Closing this gap requires the establishment of transparent and consistent communications using affordable software that gives FM teams the ability to track, evidence and improve their services.
This webinar provides a valuable overview of the main findings of the report by askporter followed by a panel discussion by FM thought leaders on practical, strategic solutions that can help close this communications gap.
To register for the webinar taking place 29 January 2026 at 11:00am click here.
