3.4 Developing employees

Through the continuous development of its employees, the Emmi Group is investing in strengthening its most important resource – competent, motivated and committed employees. This enables the Group to keep the expertise of its approximately 12,800 employees (FTEs) around the world up to date, thus ensuring they can meet the current and future demands of their work. The Emmi Group is therefore safeguarding the foundation of its economic and financial success.

3.4.1 Impact on the environment and society, and opportunities and risks

As an employer, the Emmi Group has a significant impact on its employees through basic vocational training, ongoing education and professional development. At the same time, it is in a position to make a contribution to society. Targeted training and ongoing professional development enhance the knowledge, skills and competencies of employees. This can boost employees’ self-confidence and increase productivity, efficiency and occupational safety. Employees who undergo ongoing professional development are better equipped to adapt to changes and challenges while actively boosting the company’s innovative strength. Well-trained employees are more employable, which has a positive impact on their income and quality of life.

By contrast, the absence of or insufficient professional development opportunities can negatively impact employee satisfaction and increase workforce turnover. This carries the risk of key knowledge becoming lost, which must then be offset through additional investment. Moreover, a lack of professional development can lead to market changes being insufficiently addressed, meaning potential opportunities are left unexplored. It can also cause innovative capacity to suffer, which then jeopardises the long-term sustainable growth of the Emmi Group.

3.4.2 Management approach and goals

The right employees with the right skills, the right mindset in the right position and optimal teamwork are decisive for the Emmi Group’s long-term corporate success. This is why the Emmi Group focusses on collaboration and performance in its corporate strategy through its “winning teams” value driver. Two strategic initiatives in particular have been designed to establish a uniform understanding within the Group.

Strategic initiative “Excellent Leadership”

The Emmi Group strives to create a working environment in which all employees feel welcome, valued and inspired, and can access a wide range of development opportunities. Managers play a key role in this regard: They inspire employees to take charge of their own professional development, identify potential and plan ahead with regard to human resources. They combine talent and succession planning with efforts to put together high-performing teams and organisations and create a culture in which employees can thrive and help shape the future of the Emmi Group.

With this in mind, Emmi has been investing in a uniform approach to leadership and targeted leadership development initiatives since 2012. Emmi’s Excellent Leadership initiative launched in 2018 provides tailor-made, Group-wide leadership training courses that take advantage of a blended learning approach. These programmes, which consist of self-learning modules and interactive formats, form the foundation for leadership within the Emmi Group. New challenges and trends are leading to the ongoing development of the initiative and a refined understanding of what leadership means under the name “Excellent Leadership @ Emmi”. The goal is to establish a clear understanding of leadership and to provide access to modern and modular development programmes that are more targeted in scope. Management behaviour should be firmly anchored in day-to-day work and demonstrate measurable improvement. This is intended to create more clarity surrounding the expectations placed on managers, facilitate professional development and increase the positive impact of leadership.

Strategic initiative “Talent & Succession Management”

As part of its strategic initiative “Talent & Succession Management (TSM)”, the Emmi Group takes a systematic, forward-looking approach to talent development and succession planning. This involves identifying individuals with strong potential and key positions across the Group, designing succession solutions, defining development paths and increasing transparency with regard to positions critical to the company’s success. The aim here is to build up and preserve the relevant competencies of today and tomorrow in a systematic manner. The Emmi Group has defined two measurable objectives for achieving this: by 2027, all employees should have a personal development plan in place, and 50% of all vacancies should be filled by internal candidates.

The roll-out of the TSM process within the Emmi Group is currently at varying stages of progress. While the process is well established in division Switzerland and the corporate functions, the other divisions are still implementing it step by step. Certain interdependent factors apply with regard to the full integration of the process into the Emmi Group’s IT landscape (e.g. SAP SuccessFactors). New acquisitions (e.g. the Mademoiselle Desserts Group), increased workforce turnover (e.g. in the USA and Brazil) and cultural differences regarding the willingness of staff to talk openly about personal succession plans slow down progress or else require repeated efforts to anchor the initiative throughout the Group.

Mutual responsibility and the 70-20-10 development approach

At the Emmi Group, both employees and managers are responsible for professional development. Employees are responsible for actively considering their future and being open and willing to keep developing in their day-to-day work while seizing the various opportunities that arise. Managers keep an eye on the future of their teams and support and empower employees on their individual development paths.

The Emmi Group uses the 70-20-10 development approach to promote the entrepreneurial, personal, social, technical and methodological skills of its employees in a balanced way: 70% of professional development takes place directly in day-to-day work, 20% through targeted feedback and reflection, and 10% through internal and external training. This approach serves as a guide for shaping individual development plans and thus supports the goal of actively mapping out employee development in a manner that is practical, resource-efficient and embedded within day-to-day workflows.

3.4.3 Developments in the year under review

Progress towards target achievement

By 2027, 100% of Emmi Group’s employees are expected to have a personal development plan in place. By the end of 2025, this figure stood at 74% across the Group (68% in the previous year). The breakdown across the three divisions is as follows: In Switzerland, 90% of employees have a development plan (compared to 86% in the previous year). The figure for division Europe was also 90% (compared to 70% in the previous year), while for division Americas around 63% of employees now have a development plan (compared to 58% in the previous year). The progress made by all divisions in terms of target achievement is attributable to the ongoing focus on professional development in day-to-day work, the greater focus on this topic by management and the emphasis on its relevance, the numerous Group-wide and local training and learning opportunities, and the TSM process that has been overseen and structured by HR.

In 2026, the aim will be to maintain the high visibility of the topic, to make managers and employees more aware of their tasks and responsibilities in terms of employee development, to provide support with suitable tools, and to support the development and implementation of new training and learning opportunities.

In 2025, 23% of the 3,021 vacancies across the Emmi Group were filled by internal candidates. This represents a slight decrease of 3% compared to the previous year. The aim is to increase this share to 50% by 2027. There are currently significant differences between the divisions. In the reporting year, 37% of vacancies in Switzerland were filled by internal candidates (compared to 39% in the previous year), 43% in division Europe (36% in the previous year) and 18% in division Americas (23% in the previous year). The slightly lower overall figure compared to the previous year is due to various factors: the integration of Verde Campo, which has just started with the TSM process, substantial growth in specific areas, high staff turnover in individual countries (Brazil and the USA), and new legislation in Tunisia that effectively prohibits the use of recruitment agencies for regular employment contracts. This meant new employees had to be recruited from external sources. Despite these factors, there is still a need to improve succession processes. To boost the rate of internal recruitment, the Emmi Group will strengthen its succession management in 2026 by actively tracking internal talent and further expanding talent pools. At Group level, however, achieving the targets by 2027 will be a challenge due to the above-mentioned circumstances in division Americas.

In the reporting year, 205 talent review meetings were held to discuss 4,675 employees and their development.

Employee turnover stood at 24% in the reporting year (compared to 23% in the previous year). The biggest drivers are the subsidiaries in the USA and Brazil.

The Emmi Group measures progress using the following key performance indicators:

Methodology for non-financial figures 2025

Excellent Leadership – strengthening leadership in a targeted manner

The Emmi Group strengthens leadership skills through Group-wide initiatives and programmes, complemented by local courses. Below is a non-exhaustive selection of examples from the reporting year.

Initiatives and programmes at Emmi Group level

Management training
In the reporting year, 95 managers completed the Excellent Leadership development training course, while ten managers attended the “Emmi’s Cup – how to develop yourself and your employees” training.

Management Practice Programme
The Emmi Group addresses cross-divisional competencies through its biennial Management Practice development programme, where key talents in middle management develop their leadership skills beyond their specialist areas. The 2024 programme involving 16 participants ended with a presentation of the project results in January 2025.

Leaders Upskilling in operations
This Group-wide initiative takes a systematic approach to strengthening the role of managers in operations. The measures, which include developing competencies in leadership, management and Emmi Operational Excellence (EOE), are designed to help participants master the challenges of day-to-day working life. Throughout their work routines, managers are empowered to increase performance, develop the organisation and, together with their team, ensure the level of quality remains high. The foundations for manager empowerment were established in 2025, enabling relevant measures to be implemented in the first few areas in 2026.

A selection of local courses for the development of leadership skills
In the reporting year, 87 managers in Switzerland completed short-term training courses on conversational skills, resilience, health-oriented leadership and effective teamwork. A digital training programme has also been developed to strengthen the recruiting and employer branding competencies of managers. At Pasticceria Quadrifoglio, Italy, the management team completed external training sessions on leadership, communication and feedback. At Emmi Dessert Italia, specific training for shift supervisors was prepared and held at three production plants to boost efficiency and personal responsibility in production and prepare employees for leadership roles. At Laticínios Porto Alegre, Brazil, staff underwent internal training with a focus on feedback and modern employee management. As part of the strategic realignment at Kaiku, Spain, a tailor-made upskilling programme was developed and implemented for the sales team.

Development

With regard to skills that the Emmi Group considers to be strategically important for one or more target groups across the organisation, these are often developed through strategic, Group-wide initiatives. Complementary activities are organised at local level. A selection of examples from the reporting year is provided below.

Initiatives and programmes at Emmi Group level

Continuation of the Finance Academy
Launched in 2024 to strengthen financial knowledge and competencies across the Group, especially for employees outside the finance sector, the Finance Academy was a success once again in 2025. A total of 654 employees (in the 2025 reporting year: 240) have completed the Finance Academy since its launch. Measures were also implemented at local level to embed the financial knowledge and practices acquired by employees who have completed the programme in the long term. With the exception of the new companies acquired in 2024 and 2025, employees from all Emmi Group companies have therefore embarked on their learning journey.

Commercial Excellence – a lever for profitable growth
Through its Commercial Excellence initiative, the Emmi Group focusses on the ongoing development of its commercial capabilities in the fields of marketing, sales and related areas. The aim is to identify and harness strategic potential in the market to generate profitable growth and enable long-term investments. Practical training, a clear framework and the consistent sharing of best practice examples enable employees to keep developing their skills and implement market strategies effectively. The integration of learning and application strengthens operational excellence and promotes cross-divisional growth – making it a driver of the Emmi Group’s long-term business success.

Senior Professional Programme
The Emmi Group supports experienced specialists aged 59 and over through its Senior Professional Programme. They actively apply their knowledge and experience within local units and strategic projects, enabling them to make an important contribution to business continuity and the ongoing development of core areas. At the same time, the programme offers attractive opportunities for employees in a later stage of their career. In the reporting year, four experts contributed their knowledge to international projects.

Selected local learning and development programmes

To build up the next generation of talent, the Emmi Group systematically invests in teaching junior staff industry-specific competencies by means of apprenticeships in Switzerland, thus establishing a reliable basis for the long-term retention of skilled workers. In the reporting year, Emmi filled 47 of 56 apprenticeship positions advertised in Switzerland (previous year: 59 of 67). Of the 43 apprenticeship graduates who completed their vocational training in 2025 – ten of whom passed with distinction – 32 (74%) remained with the company. The high retention rate makes it possible to fill vacant positions with qualified apprentices who bring expertise and practical experience to their positions and who are very familiar with the company, its processes and its culture.

In Chile, Quillayes Surlat worked with local schools and organisations to implement practical programmes such as dual education and training for security personnel. In the reporting year, 377 people benefited from this, including 24 students in the dual training programme, two emerging talented individuals who secured permanent positions, and more than 250 students who attended events and workshops.

As the Emmi Group increasingly needs employees with an academic background, internships and trainee programmes are offered for university graduates in Switzerland and Italy. In 2025, the Emmi Group employed five interns and nine (originally ten) trainees in Switzerland; one trainee left the programme after six months. Four trainees went on to complete the programme in autumn 2025. Two (50%) were subsequently employed by Emmi on a permanent basis. The rest fall under a transitional arrangement while an active search for a follow-up solution is under way. Emmi Dessert Italia employed seven trainees in the reporting year.

In addition, programmes for the further development of production employees based on competence matrices were introduced at Emmi Dessert Italia and Kaiku, Spain. A structured training plan for employees in the operations department was introduced at Emmi Dessert USA from July 2025. In Switzerland, a training package has been developed for those seeking to change career to become drivers (category C/E), and a training course on dairy competence has been created for production employees with no specific background in dairy or food. Training sessions were held at Vitalait, Tunisia, and Emmi Österreich, focussing on matters such as quality, IT and health.

Finally, the Emmi Group supported employees in various countries as they made the move into retirement. This support took the form of preparatory courses and advisory sessions in Switzerland, the “80-90-100” model for a smooth transition in the Netherlands and individual advisory sessions in France.

3.4.4 Outlook

In line with the motto “Growing together”, the agenda for 2026 is all about learning, growth and further development. The Emmi Group continues to focus on the Group initiatives Excellent Leadership, Talent & Succession Management, Finance Academy, Commercial Excellence and EOE Upskilling Leadership in operations.

The Excellent Leadership @ Emmi framework concept (currently being revised) is intended to make leadership development efforts more systematic, individual and effective. The revised concept includes a new onboarding concept, targeted leadership development for the production business units and adaptive learning paths. In addition, a tool for measuring maturity levels and continuous improvement in leadership conduct will be introduced. The programme for targeted leadership development in operations will be launched as a pilot.

The TSM initiative is aimed at further embedding this concept across the Group, particularly in division Americas and at Mademoiselle Desserts. In addition, various measures are being taken to raise awareness of employee development among managers and employees and empower them in this regard. As part of the Commercial Excellence initiative, the necessary competencies are being strengthened through various training sequences. Management of the Finance Academy will change from a project organisation approach to a programme management approach in 2026 in order to safeguard financial skills in the long term.

3.4.5 Further key figures on Emmi Group employees

Methodology for non-financial figures 2025