Sodexho's rugby performance lifts 1st quarter results and other international news

Sodexho's rugby performance lifts 1st quarter results
Sodexho's food and facilities management turnover jumped 10.8% year-on-year to £3.64b in its first financial quarter of 2008 thanks to its success running the corporate hospitality contract at 2007's Rugby World Cup. The company said it was confident it could achieve it's self set target of 7% turnover growth a year and thanks to the majority of its business being in the healthcare, defence, education and prison sectors was well place to weather any slowdown in the global economy.

Starbucks sacks chief executive Coffee bar giant Starbucks has replaced its chief executive with its chairman. Howard Schultz has become joint chairman and chief executive of the company effective immediately. He replaces Jim Donald who is leaving the company. Schultz joined a four-store Starbucks in 1982 as director of operations and marketing. He served as chief executive of the company from 1987 to 2000. His first job back in the hot seat will be to curb the company's rampant expansion in the USA and close loss-making stores while accelerating the company's growth in the rest of the world.

Krispy Kreme places chairman in CEO post US doughnut chain Krispy Kreme has replaced its chief executive with its chairman. Daryl Brewster has resigned and will be replaced with the company's chairman, James H Morgan. Brewster has cited personal reasons for his departure and will remain with the company until the end of the month.

Barceló to run property in Tunisia Barceló Hotels & Resorts is to run its second property in Tunisia, the Barceló Hammamet. The seafront property located two miles out of Hammamet is owned by Miramar tourist group. Barceló currently operates 161 hotels and more than 41,000 rooms in 15 countries.

By Chris Druce

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