20. jun. 2025
In Episode 8 of Served., Toby Bonnett sits down with Catharine Barras, COO of Global Strategic Accounts at Sodexo, for a deep dive into her leadership journey spanning continents, companies, and cuisines.
From prepping sandwiches at 5 a.m. in a CPU kitchen to shaping food service and workplace strategy for some of the world’s largest organisations, Catharine’s story is one of grit, growth, and global perspective. In this wide-ranging conversation, she shares actionable career advice, emerging food tech trends, and bold predictions about how we’ll eat and work in 2035.
“If you don’t put your hand up, you’ll never be recognised.” – Catharine Barras
Topics discussed in this episode:
Catharine’s rise from bar shifts to boardrooms
The realities of being a female executive in a male-dominated industry
The tension and synergy between global and local food service delivery
How tech, AI, and Off site kitchens are transforming corporate food
What the year 2035 could look like and the pivotal role large food providers will play in shaping food culture
Insightful, grounded, and refreshingly forward-looking - this episode is a must-watch (and must-share) for anyone curious about the future of food, work, and leadership.
The Roots: A Family Affair with Hospitality and Food Service
For Catharine, food service isn’t just a profession - it’s heritage. Her grandmother worked in hotels, her mother in catering, and she got her start assembling sandwiches at 5 a.m. in a production kitchen. “Food was such a big part of our family,” she recalls, “it was in my blood.”
From there, a career unfolded that spanned roles in education catering, global account management and leadership positions at Compass Group and now Sodexo. Catharine's first taste of contract catering came at a gleaming flagship site in the Northeast of England - and she was hooked.
“I walked into the staff restaurant and the salad bar - just the colour and care - made me think, ‘this is cool.’” - Catharine Barras
Why Catharine fell for the food service sector:
The collaboration: Food service thrives on teamwork - not just as a principle, but as a necessity. The biggest determinant of a location or partnerships success is not where you play or how you play, but the players and the passion they play with.
The short feedback loops: Unlike sectors where results unfold over quarters or years, food service demands quick thinking and even quicker execution. You can make a change to a menu item or a process and understand the consequences within hours or days.
Visible impact on peoples lives: Few industries let you see the real-world effects of your work so clearly. It was not only improving workplace experience, it was the impact of caterers on the wider approach to food service culture of a country, raising standards, setting trends, and driving wellness and sustainability agendas from within office buildings and kitchens.
What kept her in? The people. The agility. The feeling of building something real, every day.
On Female Leadership and Diversity: See It to Believe It
With more than 40% of Sodexo's C-suite made up of women, the company stands out in an industry striving to for gender equality. Catharine’s journey hasn’t been free of challenges, especially in cultures where female leadership remains rare.
"You start to consider how far can you can go when it is so male dominated" - Catharine Barras
Catharine's time in Asia and the U.S. illuminated cultural dynamics - places where being the only woman in the room meant working harder for recognition. Yet she insists her path was shaped more by opportunity than barriers, attributing her rise to strong networks and mentors.
Her advice for organisations? "You've got to see it. If you don't see diversity it both consciously and subconsciously impacts your confidence and ambition in terms of where you can get to"
Global vs Local: A False Dichotomy?
Having worked across regional specialists like BaxterStorey and global giants like Sodexo, Catharine is well placed to comment on the dynamics between local depth and global scale.
Her take? It’s not either-or.
“Fundamentally we’re all driven by amazing people - that passion for food and service. It doesn’t necessarily matter where you play or how you play.” – Catharine Barras
That said, Catharine believes the impact you can create multiplies when you step beyond a single-country model. The best global partners know how to retain the agility of local operators while building systems that enable scale and innovation across borders.
“Trying to have a cookie-cutter approach to food service under the umbrella of a global contract is just never going to work.” – Catharine Barras
What Makes a Global Contract Work?
According to Catharine, successful global partnerships share a few core ingredients:
Understanding the client’s culture and aligning food programmes with their goals
Adapting to each country’s strengths while delivering authentic local experiences
Cross-sharing innovation to raise the bar across markets
Building strong governance structures to scale excellence without compromising flexibility
In the end, whether global or regional, the true differentiator is universal:
“It’s all about the people and the players.” – Catharine Barras
Technology, Off Site Kitchens & the Hybrid Office
“We used to lay food out and hope someone bought it. Now we flex to demand.” - Catharine Barras
While food may be personal, scalable tech is fast becoming non-negotiable. From digital ordering and just-in-time delivery to predictive forecasting and mobile-first experiences, Sodexo is investing in tools that serve evolving needs.
One standout example: the rise of Off site kitchens. In the U.S., Sodexo is designing locations where food is made on demand, entirely behind the scenes. But Catharine adds a caution - don’t lose the human touch.
What’s changing:
Use of apps for pre-ordering and delivery
Rise of Off site kitchens and modular, just-in-time service models
Less food made “just in case” - more tailored to actual demand
Extended service periods and "always on" culture
But Catharine is clear:
“Tech can’t replace how people make you feel.” - Catharine Barras
Fixing the Silent Food Waste Problem
In traditional contract catering, food waste has long been quietly normalised. Trays of meals are prepped in bulk - then dumped - because demand is unpredictable, and “running out” is seen as a negative thing.
But technology and daily commitment of our employees are changing that.
The smarter model:
Forecast demand with real-time data
Enable pre-ordering to match production
Shift to just-in-time delivery and flexible kitchens
Track feedback instantly and adjust daily
Waste less, serve smarter, stay profitable
This is where hospitality meets responsibility - and where forward-thinking operators stand out.
AI in the Kitchen: From Sous Chefs to Scheduling
Sodexo’s AI strategy is focused on back-of-house efficiencies: intelligent team scheduling, menu optimisation, and recipe generation based on available ingredients.
“It’s about removing routine tasks so our teams can spend more time with clients and customers.” - Catharine Barras
The AI-enhanced sous chef isn’t here to replace creativity - it’s a co-pilot. And that’s what excites Catharine most: the possibility of freeing up teams to do what they love best - serve others.
“Let chefs be chefs. Free them to be creative.” - Catharine Barras
It’s not about replacing talent. It’s about enhancing it - with time, space, and clarity.
The Future of Food Service: Customised, Conscious, Continuous
Catharine sees a 2035 where food is smarter, more personal, and planet-first.
Key shifts ahead:
Customisation at scale - food tailored to health, mood, and lifestyle
Hospitality as infrastructure - offices designed around experience
Sourcing reimagined - what we eat will need to change and large caterers are in the driving seat
AI is just beginning - we don't yet have names for the things technology will be doing in 5 years, let alone 10
“The current global food sources are not sustainable… we’ve got to have foresight.” - Catharine Barras
Big players, big impact
When you serve 80 million meals a day across 45 countries, every menu choice echoes across global supply chains. With that scale comes not just influence — but a profound responsibility to shape the future of food.
“Companies like Sodexo serve millions. By shifting our direction, the whole world follows.” - Catharine Barras
They have:
The scale to shift eating habits
The platform to drive sustainable sourcing
The responsibility to shape how - and what - the world eats
Final Thoughts
Catharine Barras may lead at the highest levels of one of the world's largest service providers, but her philosophy remains refreshingly human. Whether it’s mentoring young chefs, advocating for diversity, or co-creating futuristic workspaces, her message is consistent: listen, adapt, and stay people-first.
Her story reminds us:
Small beginnings can lead to global impact
Innovation means more than tech - it means intention
And hospitality? It's still a human business
As Toby aptly puts it, “You’re not just cooking food. You’re shaping the future of how we live and work.”
