Azita Shariati facts for kids
Azita Shariati Khalil Abad, born on January 14, 1968, is a very successful Swedish business leader. For many years, she was in charge of the Swedish part of Sodexo. This is a large company that provides food and other services around the world. She also looked after their work in countries like Norway, Denmark, and Finland. In 2015, a Swedish business magazine called her the most powerful businesswoman in Sweden.
Her Journey to Success
Azita was born in Iran. In 1988, she traveled to Gothenburg, Sweden, to visit her boyfriend. She decided to stay in Sweden. She married her boyfriend and learned to speak Swedish. She studied food economics at the University of Gothenburg. She also took classes in business, leadership, and marketing.
Starting at Sodexo
Later, Azita moved to the Stockholm area with her husband and son. In 1998, she started working at Sodexo. Her first job was managing restaurants when other managers were away. She quickly moved up in the company. She became a district manager, then a regional manager, and later a sales director. Eventually, she became the managing director for Sodexo in Sweden. She also became an administrative director in Denmark.
Leading for Equality
In 2010, Azita started an important program at Sodexo. She wanted to make sure that half of the top jobs were held by women. At that time, only 14% of senior jobs were held by women. By 2015, women held 50% of all management jobs and 46% of senior management roles.
Azita also wanted to make sure employees were happy at work. She aimed to make Sodexo one of the best places to work in Sweden. She also worked to reduce food waste.
New Challenges
In 2015, Azita Shariati was named one of the top 20 businesswomen in northern Europe. This was by the Nordic Business Report. They said she was a strong supporter of equal opportunities for everyone.
In 2019, Azita took on a new role. She became the Group CEO of AniCura. This company is one of Europe's top providers of veterinary care for pets. AniCura is part of a larger company called Mars Petcare, based in the USA.
