Bellon was a ‘visionary entrepreneur’ who was passionate about management, human development and the progress of companies. He founded Sodexo in 1966 and today the company is a world leader in Quality of Life services. Sodexo has a presence in 56 countries, with 412,000 employees caring for 100 million people every day.
Sophie Bellon, chairwoman of Sodexo’s board of directors and interim chief executive, said: “Our father was a builder, a pioneer, a free spirit who was never afraid of taking risks. He raised us, my sisters Nathalie and Astrid, my brother François-Xavier and myself, to believe that nothing is impossible. He taught us humility, curiosity, respect and courage.
“He was obsessed with the long term, but he was also very hands-on. Nothing made him happier than spending time with our teams on site. The mission and values of service spirit, team spirit and spirit of progress which he gave Sodexo are part of our fundamental principles and will continue to guide the group.”
In 1962, he invented a new business model in France, corporate catering, and created ’Repas Service’, a small meal delivery business for the Marseilles area. His perseverance, audacity and appetite for risk allowed him to overcome the many obstacles in his path and found Sodexo in 1966.
Beyond his strategic vision, Bellon's humanist perspective also contributed to the company's success. The human dimension has been at the heart of Sodexo's performance from the very beginning.
Bellon was a Commander of the Legion of Honor, the National Order of Merit and the Order of Rio Branco, and a Knight of the Order of Agricultural Merit. He is survived by his wife and four children, and thirteen grandchildren.