“SHE LEADS” at Holcim for women’s growth
“SHE LEADS Operations has been a powerful and transformative step in my growth. It opened my eyes to who I want to be as a leader. More confident, more authentic, and more intentional in the impact I want to create, both in my plant and beyond.”
For Kawtar Tansaoui, a Process Manager at Holcim’s Fes plant in Morocco, taking part in the first cohort of our SHE LEADS program - which focuses on giving women the leadership skills they need to progress in their careers - has brought her more than she ever expected.
“Being part of this community of women from around the world reminded me that leadership is not only about driving results. It’s also about courage, vulnerability, and lifting each other up. This week was a big milestone in my journey, and I will carry its lessons with humility and determination,” Kawtar says.
Building a strong female pipeline
Through our NextGen Growth 2030 strategy, Holcim is focused on building the best workplace where talents are nurtured, employees are engaged and health and safety is our top priority. We celebrate diversity by attracting and retaining diverse talent, and we’re building a strong female talent pipeline as well as pushing for more women like Kawtar in leadership roles.
This is where SHE LEADS comes in. Launched in 2025, the program is open to women in their first managerial and specialist roles, and teaches skills including executive presence, public speaking and personal branding, as well as strategic business insights. It also provides mentorship, networking and targeted development opportunities.
Starting with SHE LEADS in Operations
Kawtar Tansaoui took part in the first cohort of SHE LEADS Operations, which brought together 25 women working in technical roles at cement plants from Holcim’s three regions. Through virtual and face-to-face meetings, they both learnt and were empowered to act as role models.
The curriculum introduced six different projects to ensure the women could make positive changes in their plants. These include addressing the availability of PPE designed for women, creating dedicated changing rooms for women, mentoring in operations and women’s operational hubs to replicate SHE LEADS on a market level.
Further projects focused on health and productivity – including mental health – to create a more inclusive and productive workplace, as well as building the NextGen female talent pipeline, to ensure that Holcim hires more young women for technical and operational roles.
The first, second and third cohorts of SHE LEADS are focused on Operations – with 50 women due to take part this year – while future cohorts will cover Commercial, Logistics and Leadership.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is a core accelerator for our strategy. Across all our strategic pillars, diverse teams are our competitive advantage. Initiatives like SHE LEADS are essential to empowering our female talent, building a robust and sustainable talent pipeline as well as strong succession plans.
Are you interested in a career with Holcim? Check out our careers page!
A new vision of leadership
Hear from Holcim’s amazing women in operations who’ve taken part in SHE LEADS.
“Being part of the first cohort of SHE LEADS offered me a new vision and understanding of leadership skills. Diversity is wealth, so sharing experiences with women from our plants around the world was very enriching.”
Cynthia Delagnes from our site in Martres, France
“I took home the power of seeing other realities up close. Hearing how other plants solve, innovate, organize, make mistakes, and rise again. This shifts your perspective and reminds you that you’re not alone. Operations move forward thanks to women with different stories, challenges and ways of thinking.” Nelly
Fernanda Munguia from our site in Macuspana, Mexico
“Above all, leadership is deeply human. Throughout the week, I found myself thinking: ‘This is what real leadership ecosystems look like.’”
Humay Müvəffəqi from our site in Garadagh, Azerbaijan
“SHE LEADS Operations is a first-of-its-kind global initiative at Holcim dedicated to empowering women within our plants. The remarkable number of enrollments proves that launching this program was not just the right thing to do, but a necessary step for our growth. We're not just building a program – but a more inclusive future."
Alessandra Noris, Head of Learning & Development for Cement Excellence
Holcim plant managers supporting their female colleagues in SHE LEADS Operations
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