GEA : People & Culture Report 2023

PEOPLE & CULTURE REPORT 2023

Let's engineer the future. Together.

GEA.com

FOREWORD

GEA

MISSION 26

INTERVIEW

CONTENTS

Foreword	3
GEA	5
Organization and structure	7
Cross-sector engineering expertise	8
Strong international presence	10
Successful and committed team	11
Mission 26	13
Seven levers for sustainable and profitable growth	14
Striving for success with a talented team	15
Guideline: The GEA HR strategy	16
Successful recruitment: Attracting the best talent	17
Sustainability: Positioning GEA as an attractive employer	18
Service excellence: Supporting growth	19
Interview	20
Setting the stage to become an employer of choice	20

HR @ GEA

EMPLOYEES

HR infrastructure: A solid foundation for our services

HR core processes: Global standards for efficiency and legal compliance

Standardization and digitalization: Cornerstones for innovative HR management Digitalization projects for 2023

First-level support: Direct assistance for our employees

Employees

GEA as an employer of choice Employer branding

Employer branding activities 2023 GEA awarded Top Employer status Employee retention

Employee survey

Diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunities Performance management

Employee development Learning & development Vocational training in Germany

APPENDIX

27

28

29

30

32

33
35
35
36
37
38
39
41
43	Interview
44
GEA has set the stage to become an
44
49	employer of choice. Find out more
about the successes already achieved

HR @ GEA	24
Pushing for success with smart processes and sustainable structures	25
Supporting and empowering employees as an experienced partner	26

Appendix

Imprint

50

54

and the challenges ahead in an interview with the HR leadership team.

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PEOPLE & CULTURE REPORT 2023

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FOREWORD

GEA

MISSION 26

INTERVIEW

HR @ GEA

EMPLOYEES

APPENDIX

Foreword

SHAPING THE

FUTURE WITH

1. STRONG TEAM

PEOPLE & CULTURE REPORT 2023

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FOREWORD

GEA

MISSION 26

INTERVIEW

HR @ GEA

EMPLOYEES

APPENDIX

Dear Readers,

"The HR team has set itself the shared goal to

With global challenges such as population growth and climate change continuing to rise and entire industries experiencing rapid change, companies looking to remain successful in the future are finding themselves in real need of intelligent, sustainable solutions.

actions with both each other and our customers, where our sense of responsibility, passion, integrity, and relentless pursuit of excellence drive our collaboration forward.

We know how essential it is to provide our employees with an appreciative environment in which their work

attract, develop, inspire and retain the best performing talents for GEA. To achieve this we actively push growth opportunities, shape leadership culture and provide you with a sustainable work environment."

This is where GEA comes in. We channel our expertise and innovative approach into helping the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries pave the way to the future. Did you know, for example, that around a quarter of the milk processed worldwide passes through GEA plants? That factories count on our innovations to recover energy from their production processes and cover the majority of their heating requirements? Or that GEA is a pioneer in the production of plant-based and cell-based nutrition?

Our vision is to improve not only our customers' pro- cesses, but also people's quality of life to protect future generations and contribute to a better world.

But this aim would not be possible without our 18,000 employees around the world. These people represent the beating heart of GEA and the cornerstones of our success, with every last one embracing our company's purpose 'Engineering for a better world.' Every last one working together across national borders and committed to contributing their skills. Our strong corporate culture is deeply rooted in shared values. This provides a solid framework for our inter-

aligns with their personal goals so that they can make an effective contribution to the company's suc- cess. This is why we, as the HR department, are determined to do just that.

Our aim is to attract the most talented people from around the world to join GEA, to support and inspire them throughout their development and, ultimately, to retain them in the long term. To this end, we offer our employees excellent services, a wide range of prospects, and real equality. But perhaps most importantly of all, our HR department acts as a partner to both the company as a whole and every individual employee. This is something our people can always rely on-the way we are always on hand to support them in any way they need, whether that's through one-to-one discussions, Group-wide pro- grams, or entirely personal solutions. What better way to encourage our employees to continue their development and growth within the company?

It is all of this and more that we would like to highlight for you in this report, so get ready for an exciting insight into the world of GEA.

If you're interested in learning more about our progress on this transformational journey, you're in the right place. Skip ahead to the interview with the HR Leadership Team, where I reflect on our initial progress, our accomplishments to date, ongoing challenges, and our goals for the future. We have also covered the many advantages of working at GEA that our employees can enjoy. Throughout the report, we outline specific benefits within our respective topics, areas, and processes as they become relevant- these are highlighted by this symbol . You will also find out how GEA plans to become the employer of choice within the mechanical engineering industry, which is certainly an ambitious goal, but also key to our long-term success.

2023 saw us reach a number of major milestones on our journey, including yet another top employer award. Fast forward to 2024 and we even picked up the 'Top Employer Europe' seal for the first time, which not only serves to recognize our tireless efforts, but also helps to position GEA as an attractive employer. We have taken major steps towards digitalizing our HR processes and launched numer-

ous initiatives on the topic of equal opportunities and inclusion. As for our regular employee surveys, these provide us with valuable insights into exactly what our people need and show us where we can improve. In 2023 alone, we launched more than 4,000 initiatives across the company based on the survey results from the previous year.

Dear readers, our journey is far from over. We want to continue to evolve and are working on optimizing structures and processes in addition to implementing new ideas and initiatives. But if there's one thing that never changes, it's that our employees are always at the heart of what we do. After all, it's only with a strong, diverse team behind us that GEA can continue to make the world a little better, one day at a time.

All the best,

Dr. Ulrich Braig

Chief Human Resources Officer

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FOREWORD

GEA

MISSION 26

INTERVIEW

HR @ GEA

EMPLOYEES

APPENDIX

GEA

ENGINEERING

FOR A BETTER

WORLD.

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FOREWORD

GEA

MISSION 26

INTERVIEW

HR @ GEA

EMPLOYEES

APPENDIX

GEA Group is one of the world's largest system providers for the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries, as well as for a wide range of process industries.

Our portfolio includes an extensive range of machines and systems, complemented by sophisticated process technology, components, and comprehensive services. As a globally active enterprise, our solutions help to make production processes more sustainable and efficient around the world. This is precisely how GEA is making a major contribution toward a sustainable future in line with our corporate mission statement of 'Engineering for a better world.'

Founded in 1881 as a metal trading company, GEA now specializes in the respective core technologies of its key industries as an internationally active technology group with locations in 62 countries. The company has secured a leading position in many markets by leveraging its vast processing expertise and solutions to provide focused and responsible support to companies.

GEA firmly believes in promoting a strong culture of innovation to safeguard our technological edge for the future. To this end, experts at the GEA technology centers are continuously developing innovations and expanding the existing product portfolio in close cooperation with our customers. We also encourage cross-divisional knowledge sharing between our technology locations and establish Group-wide standards.

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FOREWORD

GEA

MISSION 26

INTERVIEW

HR @ GEA

EMPLOYEES

APPENDIX

Organization and structure

GEA Group is divided into five divisions that each contain up to six business units. The divisions are based on similar technologies, mostly leaders in their respective markets, and each managed by a team comprising the divisional CEO, CFO, and CSO. In terms of support, the divisions can count on central, regional, and local functions.

Customer-facing sales and local service activities are consolidated under the umbrella of country organizations. These organizations allow us to provide our customers with a central point of contact within their country, offering a comprehensive portfolio and all services on a local basis.

Central management and administrative functions, together with standardized administrative tasks, are bundled with the Global Corporate Center (GCC). The GCC performs the principal management functions for the entire Group. As for GEA's purchasing, production, and logistics activities, these are all managed by the COO (Chief Operating Officer) in a single executive board department.

GEA

Separation & Flow	Liquid & Powder	Food & Healthcare	Farm Technologies	Heating & Refrigeration
Technologies	Technologies	Technologies		Technologies

Procurement, production and supply chain

Country organizations

Global Corporate Center

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FOREWORD

GEA

MISSION 26

INTERVIEW

Cross-sector engineering expertise

HR @ GEA

EMPLOYEES

APPENDIX

Separation & Flow	Liquid & Powder
Technologies Division	Technologies Division

GEA is one of the world's largest suppliers of systems and components to the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries. The international technology group, founded in 1881, focuses on machinery and plants, as well as advanced process technology, components and comprehensive services.

GEA is listed in the German MDAX, the European STOXX® Europe 600 Index and is one of the companies that make up the DAX 50 ESG, MSCI Global Sustainability as well as the Dow Jones Sustainability World and Dow Jones Sustainability Europe Indices.

World-class components and equipment for production excellence

Separation & Flow Technologies encompass process engineering components and machines, including separators,­ decanters, homogenizers, valves and pumps. These technologies are at the heart of many production processes.

Specialists in processing equipment and integrated solutions

Liquid & Powder Technologies provide processing equipment and integrated solutions for the dairy, food, new food, beverage, chemical and home & personal care industries. The portfolio includes brewing systems, liquid processing, aseptic and non-aseptic filling & packaging, concentration, fermentation, crys­ tallization, purification, drying, powder handling & packaging as well as systems for carbon capture and emission control.

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FOREWORD

GEA

MISSION 26

INTERVIEW

HR @ GEA

EMPLOYEES

APPENDIX

Food & Healthcare	Farm Technologies	Heating & Refrigeration
Technologies Division	Division	Technologies Division

Safe food and medicines for a growing population	Next generation farming	Industrial heating and cooling solutions for
Food & Healthcare Technologies provide solutions for	Farm Technologies offer integrated customer solu-	climate-friendly production processes
food processing. This covers preparation, marinating	tions for efficient and sustainable high-quality milk	Heating & Refrigeration Technologies combine
and further processing of meat, poultry, seafood and	production and livestock farming. This includes auto-	exten­sive­ production process knowledge and inte-
vegan products, in addition to processing lines for	matic milking and feeding systems, conventional	grated heating and cooling expertise. It provides
pasta, baked goods, snacks, breakfast cereals, con-	milking solutions and digital herd management. GEA	sustainable, energy-saving solutions for customers
fectionery and pet food. GEA also offers spiral- and	manure management solutions ensure operators	in the food, beverage and other key industries. All
tunnel freezers, as well as equipment for slicing and	have the right tools for the safe storage, application	offerings are supported by comprehensive digital
packaging of food.	and upcycling of this important resource.	and service platforms.

Did you know...?

Food

Approx. every third process line for instant coffee was installed by GEA.

Beverage

Approx. every second liter of beer is brewed with the aid of systems and process solutions from GEA.

Pharma & healthcare Roughly every fourth liter of human blood for making plasma- derived products is processed using GEA equipment.

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FOREWORD

GEA

MISSION 26

INTERVIEW

HR @ GEA

EMPLOYEES

APPENDIX

Strong international presence

GEA is represented at locations in 62 countries worldwide and consistently impresses its customers with sustainable solutions for demanding production processes. Our dynamic team offers a diverse blend of skills and experi- ences, which is fundamental to our success and deeply ingrained in GEA's corporate culture. Our clients benefit from this expertise as well as from our global reach combined with optimal local support.

GEA employees worldwide

North America 1,776

Latin America 725

Total number of employees: 18,773

North and Central Europe
3,310	DACH & Eastern Europe
	7,258

Asia Pacific

3,051

Western Europe,

Middle East & Africa

2,653

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