Building a Culture of Safety: Three Leaders, One Shared Commitment

In SodexoLive! Airline lounges, safety isn’t defined by posters on a wall or policies in a handbook. It’s shaped in the real moments, when pressure is high, decisions are immediate, and teams rely on one another to deliver safely and consistently. 

This kind of environment does not happen by accident. It’s built intentionally by leaders across Safety, Operations, and Culinary who bring different expertise but share a common goal, protecting people and supporting teams to perform at their best.

Nicole Moot, Justin Leipert, and Darrell Hughes represent those three perspectives. While they focus on different parts of the business, their work is deeply connected, each playing a critical part in how safety is experienced across every lounge. 

Nicole Moot: Embedding Safety into Everyday Work

For Nicole, Senior Manager of Safety and Security, safety starts with building the right foundation. 

With a background in operations, she understands how work happens in fast-paced environments. That perspective shapes her approach today, ensuring safety is not just a requirement, but something that fits naturally into daily routines. 

To her, safety is about creating the proper conditions for people to perform with confidence. That means clear expectations, effective training, and leaders who are both accountable and approachable. 

“When communication is open, roles are clear, and teams feel empowered to speak up, safety becomes part of who we are instead of something extra.”

Nicole focuses not only on physical safety, but also psychological safety, creating environments where people feel comfortable raising concerns, asking for help, or pausing when something doesn’t feel right. By aligning standards with real-world executions, she helps reams reduce risk while staying focused on the work in front of them. 

Justin Leipert: Driving Safety Through Leadership and Accountability

From an operations perspective, Justin sees safety as inseparable from performance. 

As Vice President of Operations, his role centers on building strong teams, supporting new lounge openings, and ensuring consistency across partnerships. For him, safety is rooted in accountability, creating a culture where people look out for one another and take ownership of their responsibilities. 

“Safety in the workplace means creating a culture where we look out for one another and where people feel supported, valued, and comfortable speaking up.”

Justin emphasizes the importance of leadership presence and communication. By setting clear expectations and reinforcing them consistently, he helps teams operate with structure and confidence, even in high-pressure situations. 

He also recognizes that psychological safety plays a key role. When team members feel respected and supported, they’re more likely to speak up, ask questions, and prevent issues before they escalate. That balance, between accountability and approachability, allows safety to become part of the culture, not just a standard to follow. 

Darrell Hughes: Preparing Teams for Safe Execution 

For Darrell Hughes, safety begins long before service starts. 

As Director of Culinary and Mobilizations, he focuses on setting teams up for success through training, systems, and preparation. His work spans new lounge opening and ongoing culinary support, ensuring that every team has the tools and structure needed to operate effectively. 

“Practice as you play. Be prepared for the unexpected, so when things happen the team can execute and be successful.”

In the kitchen, where timing and precision are critical, preparation is everything. Darrell emphasizes repetition, clear communication, and consistency, so teams can perform safely without hesitation. 

His approach reinforces all aspects of safety, from food safety to physical and psychological well-being. When teams are well-trained and supported, they can stay focused under pressure, reducing risk while maintaining high standards of execution. 

When It All Comes Together 

While each leader brings a different focus, the real impact comes from how they work together. 

Safety, Operations, and Culinary are not separate functions, they are interconnected. Each relies on the other to create systems that are practical, aligned, and effective across every lounge. 

Operations keep the focus on execution and the guest experience. Culinary brings insight into how the work is performed day-to-day. Safety ensures standards and risk awareness are built into every decision. 

Together, they create clarity, strengthen communication, and address challenges early, before they become larger issues. More importantly, they build trust. 

At Sodexo, safety is more than a priority. It’s a core value that guides how we operate every day. 

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