EXHIBIT 24.1 POWER OF ATTORNEY KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that the undersigned Officers and Directors of Sodexho Marriott Services, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Corporation"), hereby constitute and appoint Michel Landel, John Bush and Robert A. Stern, and each of them, the true and lawful agents and attorneys-in-fact of the undersigned with full power and authority in said agents and attorneys-in-fact, and in any one or more of them, to sign for the undersigned and in their respective names as Officers and as Directors of the Corporation, a Registration Statement on Form S-8 (or other appropriate form) relating to the proposed issuance of Common Stock and other securities pursuant to employee options under the Employee Stock Purchase Plan (or any and all amendments, including post-effective amendments, to such Registration Statement) and file the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and with full power of substitution; hereby ratifying and confirming all that each of said attorneys-in-fact, or his substitute or substitutes, may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof. Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated. SIGNATURE TITLE DATE - --------- ----- ---- /S/ MICHEL LANDEL President and Chief Executive Officer April 19, 2000 - --------------------------------- (Principal Executive Officer) Michel Landel /S/ JOHN BUSH Senior Vice President and April 19, 2000 - --------------------------------- Chief Financial Officer and John Bush Acting Chief Accounting Officer (Principal Financial Officer) /S/ DANIEL J. ALTOBELLO - --------------------------------- Daniel J. Altobello Director April 19, 2000 /S/ PIERRE BELLON - --------------------------------- Pierre Bellon Director April 19, 2000 /S/ BERNARD CARTON - --------------------------------- Bernard Carton Director April 19, 2000 /S/ DOCTOR R. CRANTS - --------------------------------- Doctor R. Crants Director April 19, 2000 /S/ EDOUARD DE ROYERE - --------------------------------- Edouard de Royere Director April 19, 2000 /S/ JOHN W. MARRIOTT III - --------------------------------- John W. Marriott III Director April 19, 2000 /S/ WILLIAM J. SHAW - --------------------------------- William J. Shaw Director April 19, 2000 Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Sodexho Marriott Services Employee Stock Purchase Plan has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized in the City of Gaithersburg, State of Maryland, on the 19th day of April, 2000. SODEXHO MARRIOTT SERVICES EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN BY: /S/ OLLIE LAWRENCE, JR. ----------------------------- NAME: OLLIE LAWRENCE, JR. --------------------------- TITLE: PLAN ADMINISTRATOR --------------------------