(ESRS S1-1, S1-2, S1-6, S1-7, S1-8, S2-3)
EMPLOYEE-CENTERED CORPORATE CULTURE
At Akçansa, our strong corporate culture is built on a people-centered, inclusive HR approach.
With our people- and culture-centered approach, we continuously develop transparent, fair, and inclusive HR processes at Akçansa with a strong focus on the employee experience. While establishing an agile and resilient organizational structure aligned with our corporate objectives, we prioritize creating sustainable value in talent, development, and performance management. In this journey, digital tools and data-driven insights play a key supporting role by enhancing the quality of our decision-making and making our processes more consistent, accessible, and measurable. In this way, we build a workforce ecosystem that both expands the potential of our employees and strengthens the organization’s long-term success.
Employee Demographics
As of the end of 2025, Akçansa employs a total of 990 people. 61% of our workforce consists of blue-collar employees, while 39% are white-collar employees. The share of female employees across the total workforce stands at 8.2%, while among white-collar employees this rate rises to 19.5%. While the overall female employment rate in the sector is approximately 5.2%, Akçansa maintains a representation level above the sector average. We remain committed to increasing female employment and will continue to demonstrate performance above the industry average in line with our diversity and inclusion objectives. The distribution of our workforce by education level reflects both the diversity and educational profile of our employees. As of 2025, 28.8% of our employees hold a university degree or higher, 66.8% have a high school or associate degree, and 4.4% have a primary school education. This distribution reflects Akçansa’s policy of inclusively employing individuals from diverse educational backgrounds.
8.2%
Ratio of female employees
19.5%
Ratio of white-collar female employees
73% of our employees are in the 30–50 age group, while 15% are under the age of 30. Employees aged 50 and above represent 12% of the workforce. This distribution supports our objective of bringing together both the dynamism of young talent and the experience of seasoned employees within our organization. At the same time, we are fully aware of our responsibility to protect and improve employee rights. We believe that collective bargaining agreements are not only a legal requirement but also a powerful mechanism for safeguarding employee rights and strengthening job security. At Akçansa, employees are free to exercise their trade union rights. During the reporting period, the provisions of the Group Collective Bargaining Agreement signed between the Turkish Cement, Pottery and Glass Workers’ Union (Türkiye Çimse-İş Union) and the Cement Industry Employers’ Association (ÇEİS), covering the period 1 January 2024 – 31 December 2025, were implemented. As of 2025, 50% of our employees are covered by a collective bargaining agreement. These agreements provide safeguards across a broad range of areas, from social benefits to economic rights, forming the foundation for initiatives that enhance employee welfare and job satisfaction. We respect our employees’ freedom of association and ensure that this right is protected in accordance with international standards and the conventions of the International Labor Organization (ILO). Our employment contracts do not contain any provisions that would restrict employees from joining trade unions or participating in collective bargaining agreements.
Performance Management
At Akçansa, performance management is designed as a holistic system aimed at translating the company’s purpose and strategic objectives into the individual journeys of our employees. While unlocking the potential of each employee, we prioritize strengthening the sustainability of our business and our societal impact. Within this approach, performance management is not only a results-oriented evaluation tool, but also a cornerstone of a culture centered on development, collaboration, and shared value creation. For employees outside the scope of collective bargaining agreements, the process is carried out through the digital Perf-x platform, where goal-setting discussions at the beginning of the year align the company’s broader objectives with individual performance goals. Objectives and competencies are defined within the system, and the development journey is supported throughout the year through regular feedback. During the evaluation period, employees and their managers jointly analyze performance and goal achievements, while 360-degree feedback strengthens team synergy and collaboration. The performance management of our in-scope (unionized) employees is carried out in accordance with the fair and transparent procedures defined in the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Evaluation meetings held every February guide both the recognition of employee performance and career development processes. At our plants, ports, and ready-mix concrete facilities, we also organize regular awareness activities to increase participation in the process. Sustainability is an integral part of our performance objectives. In the annual evaluations of all our employees, we consider environmental and social responsibility criteria, integrating our corporate goals with social benefit and environmental awareness. In our promotion and appointment processes, we consider employees’ business results, individual performance, and leadership potential, while prioritizing the transformation of our existing talent pool. We fill open positions through internal postings and succession planning, supporting the career journeys of employees with leadership potential, with a succession coverage rate of 92%. Our performance management system, shaped by the principles of our Leadership Model—“Grow,” “Build Connections,” and “Transform”—reveals both the strengths and development areas of our employees. Through feedback provided at every stage, we foster a flexible and innovative organizational culture that serves a shared purpose at both the individual and team levels. In 2025, with 489 employees included in our internal performance evaluation tool Perf-x, we conducted 3,054 goal definitions and 5,545 competency evaluations.
Career Planning Process
As Akçansa, we consider our people our most valuable asset. We do not limit employee development to performance evaluations alone; instead, we integrate it with our “Attracting and Retaining the Best Talent” strategy. In 2025, with our fast, flexible, and dynamic organizational structure, we continued to shape our employees’ career journeys with a focus on digitalization and sustainability.
Talent Management and Data-Driven Performance Culture
In line with our “Turning Purpose into Performance” approach, we align employee goals with the company’s strategic priorities through annual goal matrices. We continuously measure employee experience through engagement surveys and evaluation tools; and we support a high-performance culture by transforming our “Engagement Ambassadors” program into an “Employee Experience Ambassadors” structure. In our recruitment processes, we adopt a proactive talent pool management approach by experimenting with AI-based tools, and by using digital interview platforms and applicant tracking systems.
Continuous Development and Personalized Career Paths
To prepare our employees for future skills, we provide a continuous learning environment supported by AI awareness training. Through the Capsule Internal Trainer Academy, sustainability training programs, and various personalized development initiatives, we strengthen our employees’ leadership capabilities. In addition, through our HR Digitalization Roadmap and system optimization initiatives developed together with our digital transformation team, we streamline processes and place employee development within a data-driven framework.
Orchestral Leadership and Mentorship
By evolving our leadership approach into an “Orchestral Leadership” model, we enable our managers to act based on insights generated through inclusive assessment center data. Through programs that support leadership transformation in the field and mentoring discussions conducted under the guidance of our experienced managers, we enhance employees’ knowledge and help them focus on achieving larger organizational goals.
A People-Centered Approach for Sustainable Living
Within the scope of our “Akçansa Yanında” approach, which supports career development through holistic well-being, we provide our employees with personalized content and AI-supported daily insights. Through social clubs, volunteer teams, and programs such as “İnovasyol,” we enable our employees to create social impact and actively contribute to the company culture.
We support all our employees in reaching their full potential.
Training and Development
In line with our strategic objectives and the development needs of our employees, we design learning and development programs aimed at strengthening behavioral, professional, and leadership competencies. In addition to in-person training options, we offer innovative and diverse content through Akçansa Digital Academy, our online learning platform. The platform includes E-Orientation, Technical Training, Information Technology Training, Mandatory Training, and Managerial Competency Training.
24.7%
Share of ESG-related training provided per employee
59 hours
Average training hours per employee in 2025
GençİZ Digital Certificate Program
Through our GençİZ Digital Certificate Program, we enabled 1,000 women to enhance their professional knowledge, build strong connections within the sector, and begin their careers with confidence. In line with our vision of developing the next generation of industry professionals, we will continue our investments in education to make such programs sustainable and to bring more talented young individuals into the sector. Efforts to further enrich the program’s content and training modules are ongoing as part of the planning for the next phase.
Technical needs are identified for each of our plants and facilities in line with their specific dynamics, and annual training programs are developed accordingly. In addition, to support our interns, engineers, and technicians in gaining practical experience in the field, we organize applied classroom-based technical training projects, engineer development programs, and specialized training focused on technical development, contributing to the development of the professionals of the future.
Through the Skill Matrix training program, which has completed its fourth year, we contribute to the development of all colleagues working within our technical teams. In line with our corporate learning and development approach, we continue our next-generation learning journey, which supports talent development, enables employees to keep pace with emerging technologies, and encourages engaging and enjoyable learning experiences while broadening perspectives. This year, through the “KAPSÜL Internal Trainer Academy” program implemented with the support of corporate learning consultants, we are developing internal trainers and making the transfer of knowledge and experience more sustainable. The program is structured around two core themes: Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing. Each module is supported by various learning methodologies designed to ensure active and effective participation.
Accordingly, a comprehensive development journey has been designed, consisting of various components such as classroom training, interactive sessions that encourage experience sharing, and action learning sessions. As a continuation of the program, further efforts are being made to enhance the mentorship perspective of internal trainers and to support them in preparing both online and in-person training materials.
To enhance technical knowledge and field experience, we delivered 52,908 hours of in-person technical internal training. Through these continuous investments in learning, we support the personal and professional development of our employees and contribute to the future of our sector.
Through the Akçansa Digital Academy platform, 503 hours of training were delivered, while 566 hours were completed through the Workday online learning platform of Heidelberg Materials. In addition, the total training hours recorded in the HRWEB digital HR process management platform reached 57,781 hours. Based on 990 employees, this corresponds to an average of 59 training hours per employee.
Support Programs
As Akçansa, we provide our employees with various development opportunities, including access to the Heidelberg Materials Online Learning Platform, graduate education support, coaching support, and foreign language training support depending on needs and proficiency levels.
Orientation Programs
We organize a comprehensive orientation program for all new employees joining Akçansa. Supported by “Akçansa World” training content, the program covers key topics such as functional introductions, sustainability initiatives, occupational health and safety processes, information technologies, and digitalization practices. In addition, initiatives such as a welcome package and the assignment of a “Buddy” help new team members adapt quickly during their first days.
According to a report prepared by the national HR publication Headhunter, which examines the leading companies in corporate training in Türkiye, 96 companies increased their average training hours per employee in 2024 compared with 2023. As Akçansa, we ranked second with a 329% increase. In addition, among the 93 companies that increased their total training hours, we ranked 23rd.
Talent Management
The building materials sector stands out as an industry characterized by high technical expertise and dynamic working conditions. At Akçansa, we transform this structure into an opportunity for development by adopting a sustainable talent management approach that enables our employees to reach their full potential. In 2025, our strategy continues to be built on the foundations of data-driven leadership, digitalization, and inclusiveness.
Innovative Talent Acquisition and Technology-Focused Selection Processes
To increase efficiency in our recruitment processes, we have experimented with AI-supported platforms. While white-collar candidates are evaluated through abstract and concrete reasoning tests, blue-collar candidates are assessed through technical tests that measure occupational health and safety risk awareness. Within the scope of our “GençİZ” internship program, we opened our doors to 33 young talents this year, contributing to the development of the future of the sector. In addition, through the “GençİZ Digital Academy,” we provide training certificates, and through the “First Step to the Field Development Program,” we recruit young blue-collar talents into our production facilities, helping bring new talent into the industry.
Employee Experience and Holistic Well-Being
In 2025, we strengthened our high-performance culture by increasing our employee engagement score by 5 points compared with the 2022 measurement. Through our “Akçansa Yanında” approach, we offer opportunities that support the holistic well-being of our employees through a digital platform guided by various experts. While enhancing employees’ quality of life through internal loyalty programs and sports opportunities, we also support innovative ideas through social clubs, volunteer teams, and platforms such as “İnovasyol”.
Development-Oriented Leadership and Mentoring
We adopt a strategic business partnership model and equip our leaders with data-driven decision-making capabilities. Through our “Inspiring the Future” mentorship program, we support the development of our female employees and provide guidance throughout their career journeys.
Organizational Agility and Future Readiness
In line with our goal of building a fast, flexible, and dynamic organizational structure, we modernize our processes through our “Process Simplification” initiatives and our “Digital Transformation Roadmap”.
Youth Awards 2025
As Akçansa, we achieved another major success at the Youth Awards Türkiye, the most comprehensive youth voting initiative in Türkiye where young talents evaluate leading companies and employer brand practices. According to the 2025 voting results, we ranked among the top three industrial companies in the category of “Most Preferred Industrial Companies to Work For”. In the voting process, which included 180 companies across 29 different categories, a total of 192,384 young participants from 253 universities and 245 academic departments cast their votes.
Through the GençİZ Long-Term Internship Program, 33 female students joined the Akçansa family in 2025.
Employee Engagement and Well-Being
At Akçansa, we conduct our processes with transparent communication and a participatory approach to strengthen employee engagement and well-being. We regularly consider our employees’ needs, expectations, and suggestions. Insights derived from feedback help clarify our priorities for improving the employee experience while adding tangible value to our practices. In this context, we aim to provide a holistic employee experience that positively influences both the work environment and work–life balance through improvements informed by employee feedback. At the same time, we seek to reinforce organizational belonging while supporting a culture of shared success. We also support this engagement through digital channels and tools, making the process more accessible and traceable.
Engagement Ambassadors
Based on feedback from our employees and the results of pulse check surveys, we launched the Engagement Ambassadors Project in 2025, building on the foundations established in 2024. The project aims to strengthen employee engagement, improve the employee experience, and foster a sustainable culture of participation across the organization. It was implemented with 28 Engagement Ambassadors selected on a voluntary basis from different functions and structured around four focus areas and four working groups. Through this structure, we created an inclusive and far-reaching platform that systematically integrates employees’ perspectives, needs, and solution proposals into our business processes.
Employer Branding and Internal Communication Activities
At Akçansa, we manage our employer branding efforts through a holistic communication approach that effectively showcases our sustainability focus and innovative work culture across the right platforms. Within this framework, we reached 14,100 people through 51 events held throughout the year. We position these events not merely as “promotional” activities, but as opportunities to build stronger connections with the talent ecosystem, clearly communicate Akçansa’s Employer Value Proposition (EVP), and sustainably strengthen our reputation as a preferred employer in the sector.
Clubs World
Through the Akçansa Clubs World, we aim to strengthen social bonds among our employees while fostering a club culture that promotes healthy living, active lifestyles, and team spirit. Thanks to the strong interest shown in our clubs this year, we brought 300 employees together around shared interests through our six active clubs. Our club activities boost energy through events and initiatives that encourage an active lifestyle, while also strengthening collaboration by increasing interaction among employees from different teams. In the coming period, we will continue to support well-being and internal solidarity by organizing new events that increase participation and by introducing activities that encompass different disciplines.
6
Active clubs
300
Employees working in clubs
Akçansa Yanında
Akçansa Yanında is a holistic well-being approach that places Akçansa’s sustainable wellness culture at the center of corporate life. Within this framework, we offer a digital platform that enables employees to meet a wide range of needs within a single ecosystem. Through the platform, employees can access a network of specialists in various fields, including psychologists, dietitians, physiotherapists, veterinarians, financial advisors, and parenting consultants. In addition, a 24/7 call center allows Akçansa employees to receive support anytime and from anywhere. The platform also features AI-supported personalized programs and content that support both personal and professional development. Mindfulness practices help maintain work–life balance and strengthen mental resilience. Accessible not only to employees but also to their family members, the platform offers a rich resource pool that enables the effective management of well-being and healthy living.
We provide comprehensive benefits and support programs to enhance the well-being of our employees.
Through our flexible benefits system, Bflex, we provide employees with the opportunity to personalize their benefits by allocating a predetermined annual allowance across different options. Within this system, employees can use their flexible benefits for areas such as meals, event participation, and fuel expenses. Through our MultiSport partnership, employees can access hundreds of sports centers and dozens of sports disciplines across Türkiye.
We also support our employees with a range of benefits, including company shuttle services and financial transportation support, private and supplementary health insurance, life and personal accident insurance, an employer-contribution pension scheme (BES), and meal card support, helping meet their diverse needs. In addition, our employees are entitled, under certain conditions, to request installment-based salary advances. For our unionized employees, we also provide support in special circumstances such as birth or bereavement. All employees are subject to a fair and objective compensation system. Our compensation policy is structured around factors such as job scope, performance, knowledge, and skills. Our compensation and benefits management is designed and implemented with an approach that is fair, competitive, recognizes high performance, and promotes motivation. Through this system, we aim to maintain internal pay equity and market competitiveness, strengthen employee engagement, and attract a skilled workforce that supports the achievement of our financial, environmental, social, and governance objectives.
In addition, since 2022 we have adopted a hybrid working model. In 2025, a total of 169 employees benefited from remote working arrangements, including 57 women and 112 men.
At Akçansa, we consider building strong engagement with our employees to be one of the cornerstones of our corporate culture. We aim to enhance employee engagement, ensure active participation in business processes, and create an effective communication environment at every level. In line with this approach, we organize activities suitable for different employee profiles through our annual internal communication calendar. For example, we design digital events for employees who can connect online, while also organizing in-person activities for our on-site blue-collar teams, adopting a comprehensive approach that responds to the needs of our workforce.
Multisport
Through our partnership with MultiSport, we aim to help our employees incorporate an active and healthy lifestyle into their daily routines in a more accessible and sustainable way. Within this framework, we offer access to a wide range of activities, including fitness, swimming, Pilates, yoga, martial arts, and field sports, providing employees with diverse options across different disciplines. Thanks to MultiSport’s extensive network of partner facilities, our employees gain the flexibility to choose the most suitable location and activity without time or location constraints. Beyond encouraging physical activity, this collaboration also aims to promote a lifestyle that supports stress management, mental resilience, and overall well-being. In doing so, we seek to create a holistic benefit that enhances employees’ energy and motivation, contributes to work–life balance, and supports the long-term adoption of healthy habits.
Our company has an advanced grievance mechanism designed with a people-centered approach that places the needs of both employees and subcontractor personnel at its core, enabling them to easily submit feedback and concerns. We designed this system not only to receive feedback but also to support open communication and foster a trustworthy working environment. The Electronic Dialogue Line, established specifically for employees and subcontractors, serves as a 24/7 accessible platform that enables feedback to be communicated quickly and effectively, while also supporting a solution-oriented approach in urgent situations.
We actively use the feedback we receive from employees to make our business processes more efficient and to improve the working environment. We regularly review the requests submitted through the grievance mechanism and maintain the principle of anonymity at every stage of the process. In addition, we present the matters received through the feedback mechanism and successfully resolved to employees as concrete actions, working to strengthen employees’ trust in and commitment to this process.
At Akçansa, we oppose all forms of discrimination based on language, religion, race, color, and gender, and we see diversity as a source of strength.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
At Akçansa, we believe that a sustainable future can only be built not only through environmental investments but also through a people-centered and inclusive corporate culture. In this context, we consider it a core priority to provide a workplace where every employee feels valued, can realize their full potential, and benefits from psychological safety, regardless of age, gender, ethnic background, or physical condition.
Operating in the heavy industry sector, Akçansa aims to transform traditional industry norms by increasing women’s participation in the workforce, while simultaneously developing female leaders at every level of the organization as a key component of its corporate strategy. Examples of initiatives supporting female employment include ensuring that candidate shortlists prepared by Human Resources always include candidates of both genders, and publishing certain job postings (such as GençİZ 2025–2026) exclusively for disadvantaged groups as part of positive discrimination practices designed to strengthen equal opportunities. To facilitate candidates’ transition into the organization, newly hired employees are supported through orientation and mentorship programs during their onboarding and adaptation processes. In line with our diversity and inclusion vision and our objective to increase the number of women working in operational roles, a female employee was hired as a Ready-Mix Concrete Plant Operator in 2025.
Akçansa bases its talent management processes on merit and carefully ensures equal opportunity in recruitment and promotion processes. In 2025, the share of women in the total workforce remained 8%, consistent with 2024, while the proportion of women among white-collar employees reached 19.5%. Mentorship and leadership development programs aimed at strengthening diversity in decision-making mechanisms continued throughout 2025, resulting in women representing 15% of middle management positions and 11% of senior management roles.
Within the scope of its 2030 Sustainability Roadmap, Akçansa is steadily progressing toward its targets of achieving a 30% female representation among white-collar employees and 40% female representation in succession plans. In 2025, the company exceeded its succession planning targets, reaching a 92% succession coverage rate across the n, n-1, n-2, and n-3 levels.
The objective of preventing discrimination and ensuring inclusiveness across all business processes is also supported by a strong governance structure. Akçansa’s Human Rights Policy, Gender Equality Policy, and Code of Ethics provide clear guidance on preventing discrimination and addressing cases such as harassment. These policies define in detail the procedures to be followed in such situations, as well as the operation of internal reporting mechanisms, ensuring that all processes are handled with confidentiality and sensitivity.
In daily operations, the Diversity and Inclusion Committee, which is one of the key pillars of diversity practices, has been transformed into a subcommittee of the Sustainability Committee, which meets periodically with the participation of senior management. In its fourth term, this structure aims to increase representation and ensure the binding nature of its decisions. In 2025, Akçansa joined the Global Compact “Non-Discrimination and Equality Program” as a participant. By expanding the perspective reflected in its policies and procedures, the company aims to focus on performance improvement opportunities related to non-discrimination and equality in 2026. This approach establishes a transparent and reliable framework for protecting the rights of both employees and business partners.
Looking ahead, Akçansa will continue to uphold its commitments to equality, diversity, and inclusion, working to increase women’s participation in the workforce and create an inclusive working environment for all employees.
