Francesca Marlow Wins Prestigious AREEA Industry Future Leader Award for Transformative SoBelong Initiative
Sodexo Australia is proud to announce that Francesca Marlow, leading the brilliant SoBelong initiative, has been named the winner of the Industry Future Leader Award at the 2025 AREEA Awards. This prestigious accolade recognises Francesca’s exceptional leadership, innovation, and commitment to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion in the Energy and Resources sector.
Francesca, affectionately known as “Fran” among her colleagues, spearheaded the SoBelong program to address systemic barriers to employment and create meaningful Fly-In Fly-Out (FIFO) career pathways for individuals traditionally excluded from the workforce. Her human-centred approach has transformed recruitment practices, focusing on equity, dignity, and connection to ensure that every candidate feels valued and empowered.
Under Francesca’s leadership, SoBelong has delivered remarkable results:
- Supported 136 individuals across just a few intakes, offering life-changing opportunities to long-term unemployed individuals, culturally diverse groups, women in vulnerable situations, carers, and Indigenous Australians.
- Achieved an 81% attendance rate, a 41% interview-to-hire conversion rate, and an impressive 77% retention rate among hires.
- Fostered a sense of belonging and purpose for participants, many of whom have gone on to thrive in FIFO careers.
Francesca’s innovative approach goes beyond traditional recruitment methods. By engaging directly with candidates, she ensures potential is recognised beyond resumes, creating a more inclusive and values-driven hiring process. Her work has strengthened Sodexo Australia’s workforce and helped us build a more socially responsible industry.
One such inspiring story was of Monia Tumelty. She began her journey with SoBelong and recently commenced a Certificate III in Hospitality through a nationally recognised traineeship and completed her first on-the-job practical assessment. Monia is currently part of the Bechtel Red Dog Village team. SoBelong helped us recognise the value that Monia could add to our team. It’s precisely stories like these that SoBelong brings forward, that otherwise might have faced barriers in the conventional manners.
The AREEA Awards celebrate excellence in workforce innovation and leadership within the Australian resources and energy sector. Francesca’s win highlights her role as a trailblazer, setting a new standard for workforce transformation and inclusive hiring practices.
As SoBelong continues to grow, with plans to scale nationally in late 2025, Francesca’s leadership stands as a shining example of how purpose-driven initiatives can create lasting change for individuals, organisations, and communities alike.
Congratulations, Fran, on this well-deserved recognition! We’re proud of you.