Diversity

Diversity at the top Act report

In accordance with the Diversity at the Top Act (Art. 2:142b of the Dutch Civil Code), in this annual report we report on the composition of the Supervisory Board, the Executive Board and the sub-top level of senior management. We also report on the target figures for the Executive Board and sub-top and the associated action plan to achieve the targets. Because Heijmans is a listed company, the Supervisory Board is subject to the gradual entry quota rather than a target.

Both the Executive Board and Supervisory Board recognise the added value of diversity in a broad sense and gender diversity in particular. Heijmans’ current diversity policy, with regard to the Executive Board and the Supervisory Board, was drawn up with this in mind. In the action plan on based on the Dutch Diversity at the Top Act, we take measures and actions to implement the diversity policy and targets for the Executive Board and the senior management level below the Executive Board (sub-top). Target figures should be appropriate and ambitious, and have been formulated on the basis on those principles.

Executive Board

The Executive Board has consisted of two independent officers (100%) for several years. Considering the current composition, a target figure of one man and one woman in the Executive Board is obvious. Reaching a balanced male/female ratio is a challenge in the long term, because there are significant intervals between vacancies for an Executive Board with two members.

In 2024, A.G.J. Hillen was reappointed for a period of four years. In his reappointment, the Supervisory Board considered that Mr Hillen, in his role as chairman, had made an exceptionally large contribution to the recovery of Heijmans in recent years. For this reason, no vacancy was advertised and the decision was made to reappoint him. The Supervisory Board was delighted that Mr Hillen wished to commit himself to Heijmans as a member of the Executive Board for another four years. The terms of the current members of the Executive Board expire in 2025 (G.M.P.A. van Boekel) and 2028 (A.G.J. Hillen), respectively.

The Supervisory Board is responsible for the composition of the Executive Board. In the event of a vacancy on the Executive Board, the Remuneration, Selection and Appointments Committee supervises and prepares the recruitment procedure. The recruitment is always carried out by an executive search agency. In the assignment, we devote specific attention to female candidates: of the number of longlisted candidates, at least 50% must be female. The Supervisory Board aims to have 50% female candidates on the shortlist, too. During the selection process, the board assesses numerous criteria and, if they prove suitable, the female candidate is given preference.

Sub-top

The so-called sub-top is made up of officials who are part of senior management. At the end of 2024, 120 employees were part of the sub-top, 21 of whom were women (17.5%).

The target figures for the sub-top specify a minimum percentage of women and men of 20% and 50% respectively, which means that 30% can be either women or men. The Company did not achieve the target figure for women in 2024. This was due to the increase in the total number of sub-top positions as a result of the inclusion of the managements of the acquired companies Van Wanrooij and Van Gisbergen, which consist entirely of men. The target figure of 20% will remain in effect for 2025.

The Executive Board is responsible for diversity in the sub-top. Recruitment of candidates for the sub-top, defined in the context of the Diversity in the Top Act as positions in senior management, takes place in the business with guidance from HR.

HR uses the following principles in recruitment that are intended to promote diversity (in the broadest sense):

• Working method within recruitment that consciously considers diversity when filling vacancies.

• The language used in vacancy texts is tailored to the target group we are aiming to reach: e.g. men or women, cultural background or young people.

• Recruitment agencies are aware of our need for diversity in the workforce, without there being any (firm) agreements in this respect.

• Candidates are allowed to apply for jobs anonymously to avoid any unconscious bias.

For the recruitment of officers who fall into the sub-top, additional measures will be taken, such as:

• The selection committee will include at least one woman.

• The aim is for at least 50% of the candidates invited to be women, whether or not they were found through an executive search agency. There is a caveat for this in that it is difficult for certain technical jobs, given the number of women with (certain) technical educations.

• Diversity goals such as KPIs are part of senior management targets.

Supervisory Board

Heijmans is a listed company, and so is bound by the gradual entry quota for supervisory boards. There is therefore no target figure for the Supervisory Board (100% independent supervisory body). As per year-end 2024, the Supervisory Board consisted of four men (66.66%) and two women (33.33%), and therefore achieved the quota of at least one-third men and at least one-third women. In 2024, one supervisory director was due to step down and was eligible for reappointment, namely Ms J.W.M. Knape-Vosmer. She was reappointed for four years at the General Meeting held on 30 April 2024. On 4 November 2024, a sixth supervisory director was appointed, Mr M.C. van Gelder. This expansion from five to six members is temporary, in anticipation of the resignation of the chairman of the board after the conclusion of the General Meeting of Shareholders in April 2025.

In the Profile of the Supervisory Board, established on 12 June 2019, it is stated that the Supervisory Board would draw up a diversity policy with respect to the composition of the Supervisory Board, considering the aspects relevant for the Company, such as nationality, age, gender and background in terms of education and professional experience. With regard to the male/female ratio, the Supervisory Board will act in line with legal requirements and the board endorses the goal of said legal requirements.

If there is a vacancy in the Supervisory Board, the Remuneration and Appointments committee prepares and guides the selection procedure. The selection will always be carried out by an executive search agency. In the commissioning, specific attention is paid to female candidates: at least 50% of the candidates on the longlist should be female. The Supervisory Board also strives to have at least 50% of the candidates on the shortlist be female. The Supervisory Board uses a wide variety of criteria in its assessment during the selection, and if they prove suitable, the female candidate will be given preference. The procedure was followed in the appointment of Mr M.C. van Gelder, as already stated above.

Diversity and inclusion policy

In accordance with best practice 2.1.5 of the Dutch Corporate Governance Code, Heijmans has a company-wide diversity and inclusion policy (D&I policy). This includes the policy that applies to the Supervisory Board, Executive Board and sub-top pursuant to the Dutch Diversity at the Top Act.

The D&I policy can be described as follows:

As the creators of the healthy living environment, we pay close attention to the world around us. We link social challenges to the needs of residents, consumers and road users. We express this in our promise ‘Together, it’s possible’.

The Better strategic pillar from our previous strategy also included our ambition to be the best employer in the construction industry. An employer where there is room for people of diverse (cultural) backgrounds and ages. An employer that has an eye for differences in background and skills. This is why Heijmans is working hard to introduce groups of people who are underrepresented in the organisation and to retain them for our company and our industry.

How do we want to make diversity a reality at Heijmans? We have an internal working group that has been holding regular discussions to exchange ideas on the theme of diversity and inclusion for several years now. This has already resulted in a number of recruitment-related actions:

• For example, the recruitment team attended a training course on ‘unbiased selection’. They have incorporated the key learning points from this training course in a presentation and shared this with their HR colleagues. They also discuss the findings with the managers of the various units so these findings are disseminated to the rest of the organisation.

• We have made an internal working agreement to the effect that for all vacancies, we first determine how filling the vacancy can contribute to increasing the diversity of the team in question. We then take this into account when recruiting; the language of our vacancy texts is always geared to the desired target group.

• We have a campus recruiter who consults on a regular basis with educational institutions with an above-average diverse population; they are also in regular contact with Jinc, an organisation that focuses on children who, due to their background, are at risk of falling behind on the labour market.

• Our recruiters actively participate in events with the specific aim of recruiting and/or getting women and/or minority groups interested in our industry.

• Our new labour market campaign is also geared towards increasing diversity.

• We have taken the following actions specifically aimed at attracting newcomers:

• • We have cultivated intensive contacts with local councils, WerkgeverServicePunten (WSP) (an organisation that helps employers find talent), Stichting UAF (a refugee organisation) and Refugee Talent Hub (an employers' initiative for refugees).

  • Collaboration with Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences; seven students hired, with plans for a follow-up programme in the coming year.

  • We appointed a refugee with a residence permit as the new coordinator within the recruitment team, working towards the coordinator being responsible for the guidance of newcomers.

  • SharePoint site set up with information for newcomers and their supervisors.

  • We organised a successful ‘Together we are one’ event, including intercultural training for newcomers and their supervisors. Evaluation is very high (around nine out of ten). Words such as ‘highly valuable’ and ‘educational’ are frequently used.

  • Publicity via LinkedIn, newspapers and the Heijmans website; nomination for the AANtWERK prize for inclusivity.

  • Optimised recruitment and selection process and onboarding in Workday to generate uniform reports for newcomers.

  • Presentations given to management teams, the Works Council and other interested parties to increase support.

Besides these recruitment activities, what else did we do?

• We joined the Agora network. This brings together professionals from the field to share knowledge and experiences, to make networks available and to support each other. This promotes the growth, retention and advancement of diverse talent.

• We developed an infographic to raise awareness of this issue within Heijmans.

• With the help of Statistics Netherlands (CBS), we conducted a baseline measurement of cultural diversity within Heijmans, so we can also monitor whether our efforts in this area are producing results.

• In collaboration with Young Heijmans, we organised various webinars over the past two years on topics including gender and generational differences and cultural backgrounds. The goal was to learn from each other, appreciate each other's insights and raise awareness.

• We regularly publish articles on Viva Engage based on a content calendar. For example, articles about different religious holidays or national events (such as Pride Amsterdam) related to the theme of diversity and inclusion. We do all of this to draw attention to the various groups within our Heijmans community and to promote awareness and understanding for each other.