Dominique Pélabon

About Dominique Pélabon

Dominique Pélabon is a seasoned executive with deep experience in contract catering and service industries, and he currently serves as a director of Elior Group. His career has been closely associated with the development of large service companies and the management of complex, labor-intensive operations in France and abroad. Elior’s governance materials state that he was elected a director on April 18, 2023, with a term running until the general meeting convened to approve the financial statements for the year ending September 2027. He began his career in 1976 at Sodexo, where he held several frontline positions, including area management and sales, before moving into regional leadership roles. He later became Regional Director, General Manager for Benelux, and then General Manager of Sodexo’s schools and universities business. This early period gave him strong expertise in contract catering, multi-site operations, and operational performance management. In 1987, he joined Compagnie Plastic Omnium, where he served as General Manager of the environmental business and later as President of Compagnie Signature, a business specializing in road signs and safety. Over a 15-year period, he helped develop activities across Europe, the United States, South America, and Asia, and he was also a member of Plastic Omnium’s management committee. This industrial experience strengthened his command of process management, cost optimization, and international expansion. Pélabon joined Elior in 2001 to lead the Education and Health businesses, and in 2005 he also became Managing Director of the International Catering business. In these roles, he contributed to both organic growth and external expansion. Elior also notes that he helped rationalize meal production in central kitchens and in healthcare settings, which is a key driver of efficiency and service quality in the sector. He retired from Elior’s Executive Committee in 2016 and has since worked as a consultant. His professional profile combines contract catering expertise, industrial operations leadership, international development, and transformation know-how. At Elior, his contribution has been associated with improving operational discipline, enhancing service delivery, and supporting the company’s long-term growth strategy through a strong understanding of quality, safety, and economic performance.