PALFINGER EMPOWERS WOMEN IN TECHNOLOGY AND LEADERSHIP

At PALFINGER, diversity and equality go far beyond International Women's Day. They are a business necessity and a central lever for the long-term and sustainable success of the company. Gaining more women in all divisions and jobs is a strategic priority that is lived out day by day.

Mechanical engineering and technology are still considered traditional male domains. “Diversity and gender balance need active commitment. A supportive environment benefits men and women alike. Because we're not just creating careers, we're shaping the future of our industry,” says Maria Koller, CHRO at PALFINGER.

Gender equality is a management goal

With its strategy for diversity, PALFINGER wants to increase its attractiveness as an employer and the quality of the employee experience, and in particular the equality of women in the company. This is an important contribution to strengthening brand and culture as part of the company’s Strategy 2030+. With corporate values as a basis, company-wide dialogue formats and regular workshops provide direction at all levels. This is how gender equality is embedded in a structured way and implemented in everyday working life.

Empowering women at all stages of their careers

Already at the recruiting stage, PALFINGER uses a fair, performance-focused approach to remove structural barriers and promote a diverse, inclusive workforce. One of the most important things here is to motivate young women to become apprentices. With 85 nationalities and 35 languages, the company already has a high degree of diversity among its over 12,000 employees. Currently at 15 percent, the proportion of women is to be further increased as part of the company’s Strategy 2030+, and by the Women in Leadership program.

Family-friendly and transparent as a promise

Flexibility through working from home and the chance to take on management responsibilities on a part-time basis provide opportunities for professional development at all levels. Offers such as cost-effective all-day childcare during school summer holidays provide additional support. Women's networks within the company, mentoring, and visible role models strengthen professional development and career advancement. The women's career index especially launched for this purpose shows progress transparently. PALFINGER was awarded Austria’s berufundfamilie (job and family) certificate in 2024 in recognition of the company’s support for employees with families and continues to commit to the structured focusing and expansion of existing funding measures and embedding them in corporate culture.

Commitment to empowering young women

What is more, the company is involved in projects such as Neugierig ins Leben (Start life with curiosity) and Girls' Day to spark girls’ interest in technical fields early on, highlight career pathways in STEM, and in doing so sustainably expand the female talent pool as a result. Through its strategic partnership with the MINTality Foundation, PALFINGER is further strengthening this commitment and taking a long-term approach to increasing the number of young women entering technical professions. At this year's Salzburg Network Meeting in Bergheim in early February, it was also clear how consistently PALFINGER has embedded diversity and the empowerment of women in the company, both culturally and as part of its global ESG program.

With these actions, PALFINGER is underlining its commitment to diversity, gender balance and equal opportunities as a strategic basis for future-focused corporate development, not just on International Women's Day, but far beyond.

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