Marcus Patton - General Manager West E&R Operations
"I was exposed to various facets of the Australian Army during my time with them, and the key takeaway was comradery and mateship,” Marcus said.
At just 15 years old, Marcus Patton made the decision that traditional schooling was not for him and joined the Australian Army Catering Corps where he trained as a chef. Here, he served the nation for 15 years before being honourably discharged.
A far cry from his current role as General Manager Operations West for Energy and Resources at Sodexo, Marcus said he wouldn’t trade in the lessons he learnt during his formative years for anything.
I was exposed to various facets of the Australian Army during my time with them, and the key takeaway was comradery and mateship,” Marcus said.
Every day was a challenge, but if you showed up and worked collaboratively it all worked out.”
These core values shaped Marcus, and are seen in every action he takes in his work with Sodexo, since transitioning from the Morris Corporation (Morris). Starting his FIFO career in 2013 with Morris as an Assistant Village Manager, it was not long before his aptitude for systems and operations prompted his promotion to Village Manager within four short months.
When Morris was acquired by Sodexo, Marcus was immediately identified as an asset to retain. After three years as Village Manager, Marcus’s unique skillset and knack for corporate work was recognised in his promotion to Operations Manager, a path that would lead him to becoming General Manager Operations West for Energy and Resources.
Marcus now oversees and directs a team of 22 Village Managers across 11 sites.
As a rule, Marcus takes people at face value and, soon after stepping into his operational role, made it his goal to promote greater team collaboration through the development of an internal team network where members could share knowledge and set goals.
Knowing what was required to be a strong leader in the Australian Defence Force helped me form the basis of my professional persona,” Marcus said.
While serving in the Australian Defence Force (ADF), Marcus championed for greater access to mental health support services and resources for service personnel. Common connotations in the ADF being a level of ‘bravado’ that doesn’t allow current and previous service people to be vulnerable.
After experiencing his own mental health challenges, Marcus has dedicated much of his time advocating for and developing open communication channels for his team, where he actively takes measures to ensure no one feels isolated or without support. He feels this is most important in a post COVID-19 world to openly recognise emotions and express them without judgement.
With his practical skillset and value of mateship, Marcus also isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty and is ready to jump on the tools at a moment’s notice to help support his team.
Making myself available 24 hours, seven days a week for anything was second nature for me, and an obvious avenue I wanted to take,” Marcus said.
Despite my current position, I’m ready to help my team and operations wherever possible – even if it is as simple as being an ear for them.”
Marcus’ operations, procedural, and mobilisation knowledge, coupled with his resilience makes us proud to have him on board – thank you for your service, Marcus!
Sodexo is a member of the Veterans Employment Commitment (VEC), recognising the skills and experience of veterans and improving their employment outcomes.
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