Growth starts with us: Nurturing NextGen Talent at Holcim

Why I choose Holcim every day
 

When people ask me what makes Holcim special, my answer is always our people. But what excites me even more is what becomes possible when we connect their talent and ambition to the right opportunities.

We are 50 000 colleagues in 45 countries, and across different businesses and functions. Imagine the collective knowledge and capabilities within our organization. We represent hundreds of backgrounds, cultures, and disciplines, but are united by a shared purpose: building progress for people and the planet.

I strongly believe that a career at Holcim shouldn't be limited by the borders of a single country, function or business. Our people should benefit from the full breadth of opportunities our organization offers. That’s why we’re building a workplace where everyone belongs and can perform at their best.

Our People approach is grounded in the Holcim Spirit of Purpose, People and Performance. It gives us the culture we need to unlock our full potential and deliver NextGen Growth 2030, which requires new capabilities and new ways of thinking.

That's how we transform possibility into reality.

WHAT HELPS YOU SUCCEED AT HOLCIM
 

One question has always fascinated me: What actually makes someone successful at Holcim?

Rather than relying on opinions, we wanted evidence. Through 18 months of research involving around 2,000 successful colleagues, we identified five NextGen Growth Behaviors:

• Strategic Thinking — navigate complexity: Seeing the big picture and critical details simultaneously, combining creativity with analysis to make decisive, forward-looking choices. 
   
• Resilient Drive — stay focused: Demonstrating grit, adapting to change and remaining committed to delivering results. 
   
• Growth Mindset — challenge the status quo: Recognizing strengths and development areas, challenging convention and taking ownership of personal and team growth. 
   
• Influential Leadership — multiply impact: Empowering others, leading with purpose and humility, and encouraging innovation to achieve results together. 
   
• Performance with Integrity — uphold the principles: Acting with integrity as the foundation of business success, building trust and creating lasting value.

What I love about these behaviors is that they make growth tangible. They give everyone a common language for understanding success and what they can actively develop.

"Growth shouldn't be a mystery, and potential shouldn't depend only on who gets noticed."

Nurturing talent for strategic growth
 

We are deeply committed to investing in talent at every level through continuous learning, clear progression pathways, and early leadership exposure in a purpose-driven environment.

We anticipate future talent needs, strengthen succession pipelines and prepare colleagues for greater responsibilities.

I often say that the success of succession planning isn't measured by how good the plan looks. It's measured by our ability to deliver the right talent, with the right capabilities, when the business needs it.

Holcim University is central to this ambition. In 2026, it reached more than 28 000 unique learners, delivering over 127 000 learning hours. Since 2024, 1 360 colleagues have also graduated from executive programs with leading academic institutions.

But learning doesn't happen only in classrooms. Challenging assignments, new responsibilities and exposure to different businesses are equally important.

We don't develop future leaders through training alone. We develop them through experiences.

Creating opportunities for everyone to thrive
 

One of my strongest convictions is that people should be the authors of their own career stories.

Opportunity shouldn't depend only on who you know, where you work or who notices you.

We're making growth opportunities more visible and accessible through two complementary approaches:

• Global mobility and professional experiences: Cross-functional and international assignments broaden perspectives, and develop capabilities. At Holcim our AI-powered internal talent marketplace connects colleagues with internal roles, projects and networking opportunities based on their skills and aspirations. 
   
• Mentorship and personal growth plans: Holcim Mentoring and development conversations help colleagues define their ambitions and take practical steps toward them.

Building the future, one growth story at a time
 

Perhaps the reason I believe so strongly in growth at Holcim is that I've experienced it myself.

I joined Holcim as an intern in Egypt. Since then, I've grown through different roles and responsibilities across the Middle East, Africa and Europe, eventually taking on my current global role.

My career hasn't followed one straight line. Every experience challenged me, broadened my perspective and opened possibilities I couldn't have imagined when I started.

And my story is just one of many.

I think of a colleague who started in Iraq and is now taking on an international assignment at our headquarters in Zug. Or another who joined Holcim 20 years ago and today sits on our Board of Directors.

We have so many incredible journeys to share, and every day our employees are writing new ones. If you are ready to bring your ambition to a global stage and write your own growth story, there is a place for you at Holcim.

When I think about Growth Month, there's one message I'd like to share with you:

Don't wait for someone else to define your potential. Be curious, challenge yourself, make your ambitions known and take ownership of your growth.

Are you ready to start your own growth story? Explore opportunities at Holcim.