We are forging the future
Together. Securely. Powerfully.
The future doesn’t just appear — it starts today. We have clearly mapped out our path with our revised strategy: We want to actively shape the future. We will only achieve our ambitious goals with the passion and dedication of our employees.
“We have a clear objective: To make Aurubis a place where people can grow, feel safe, and achieve great things together.”
— Dr. Toralf Haag , Aurubis CEO
We aim to inspire our teams to deliver peak performance. So we have developed a cultural vision (read more) that is both a source of inspiration and sets clear guardrails. Safety is our absolute imperative — especially plant security, work safety, compliance and responsibly handling risks (read more). We all need to show up here, every one of us, every day.
Aurubis is an attractive employer with a solid and successful outlook — and opportunities for personal development (read more). With our Women4Metals initiative, we are zeroing in on diversity and equal opportunity and supporting the visibility and advancement of women in the metals industry (read more). We also place strong emphasis on training young people and giving talent space to grow and actively shape their future at Aurubis (read more).
Together we are forging the future.
Culture as a strategy enabler
We will continue expanding our leadership as a multimetal producer through our strategy. A powerful culture is a key lever here: It builds trust, promotes cooperation, and enables change. Power for Performance is more than just our cultural vision — it is the unifying force driving us all.
Aurubis has gone through significant changes in recent years. So 2024 was the ideal time to spotlight our company culture in a thorough analysis and turn the findings into a clear vision: Power for Performance. We deliberately highlight the “we” in Power because we can only achieve peak performance together. Culture reflects how we work successfully as a team, what we need to focus on, and where we can improve. Everyone contributes their individual skills, knowledge and perspective to achieve the best possible outcome. We are already the partner of choice in many areas, and aim to expand this role. With our culture initiative, we are strengthening Aurubis from the inside, making the company more attractive as both an employer and a business partner.
“We developed a clear vision with ‘Power for Performance’: A culture that enables peak performance. Because we can only succeed and achieve our strategic targets by working together.”
— Laura Zielinski, Senior Vice President HR Group
The seven action fields of our culture
Our company culture is the sum of all the values and rules, but also the unwritten rules and modes of conduct, that shape how we work together. That’s why we defined clear ambitions and behaviors for each of the seven action fields that apply to the Executive Board, the leadership team, and every individual employee equally.
People Focus
Appreciation and development opportunities
Risk awareness
Safety and responsibility every day
Collaboration
Powerful teams and overcoming silo thinking
Leadership
Living responsibility, providing feedback and guidance
Innovation
Proactive engagement with trends and continuous improvement
Changeability
Ability to adapt and seize opportunities
Communication
Transparency and dialogue mindset
Cultural development is moving forward step by step in key areas and is firmly anchored in the targets for the Executive Board and for management. We started with the Leadership and Risk Awareness action fields in the 2024/25 fiscal year, and will be turning our attention to Collaboration and Changeability in the new fiscal year. Progress is shaped from within: Each team, division and site has distinct needs and growth opportunities. Managers are instrumental in bringing the cultural vision to life with their teams and translating it into action. The first success stories show that cultural development is already taking root: The culture target picture is visible throughout the company. Teams across all areas are talking about the action fields and defining approaches in workshops — and the sites are creating their own events and formats for bringing Power for Performance to life.
TOGETHER:
A spirit of safety
A nod, a glance, a brief pause — sometimes it’s the little things that impact safety during the workday. Whether in the plant, outside in the yard, or in the office: In identifying risks and taking responsibility, we’re reflecting the spirit of TOGETHER, the Group-wide safety program at Aurubis. And protecting ourselves and others.
In fiscal year 2025/26, we will continue rolling out our TOGETHER program, already successfully implemented in Hamburg, to our sites. External analyses pointed to improvement potential that the training and coaching program is now systematically realizing with its hands-on approach. TOGETHER also represents a new attitude: Safety isn’t just the duty of individuals or departments, but a shared value that has to be put into practice every day.
Virtual reality as a safety coach
It’s essential that everyone stays alert to plant traffic every day at our sites. At our Lünen plant alone, more than 700 vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists move around the yard daily. The site is employing an innovative and modern solution to keep everyone safe as they go about their work: the VR project (virtual reality). In a virtual training environment, employees experience what it’s like to sit in the cabin of a wheel loader or to stand right next to the vehicle as a pedestrian. This virtual experience highlights the importance of safety-conscious behavior. It also sharpens awareness for safety aspects, such as limited visibility or longer braking distances.
Response has been widespread and overwhelmingly positive: Motivation to participate in safety training has increased by 80 % since the VR simulation was introduced. The technology will be integrated into onboarding for new employees and in regular training sessions going forward.
“Safety is part of how we work. And that’s exactly what makes TOGETHER successful: We invest in people.”
— Tim Kurth, COO Custom Smelting & Product
The program works at two levels: Setting standards and integrating leadership. Uniform rules, processes and guidelines ensure that safety precautions apply at all sites. At the same time, managers and internal coaches are trained to make sure safety awareness is visibly put into practice. Over 3,000 employees, 375 managers, and 60 coaches have been trained so far. In Hamburg, in-house coaches took over running the training program in mid-June 2025. TOGETHER is already a fixture of the workday here. Now the focus is on anchoring a proactive safety culture — through personal responsibility, active leadership, and shared values.
The program’s effects are evident every day: Employees are speaking up about risks, and supervisors are running routine safety checks and remedying small deviations immediately. This leads to effective safety routines that sustainably minimize risks.
TOGETHER combines cultural transformation, technological innovation, and operational excellence. Modern training methods and digital tools support employees in identifying risks early on and reacting to them appropriately.
This firmly integrates safety into the way we work — and that’s exactly what makes TOGETHER successful. Every single employee contributes to creating a shared culture of responsibility.
Handling risks — safety and security begin with us all
Handling risks responsibly is deeply embedded in our company culture. Risk management centers around three core areas at Aurubis: Compliance, Security and Risk Management work closely together to identify, assess and minimize risks early, creating a framework for greater safety at Aurubis so we can keep growing and succeeding in an increasingly complex global landscape. Every employee plays a part here, whether in work safety and plant security, following safe practices, IT security, or in crisis situations.
“Group Security develops Group-wide standards to protect people, assets and processes from current and future threats.”
— Philipp Kohl, Head of Group Security
Compliance: Following the rules and reporting problems
At Aurubis, compliance means consistently following laws, regulations and ethical standards. Our goal is to proactively detect, prevent and address misconduct early. Our Compliance team drafts policies, conducts training sessions, and offers support internally with screening new business partners to minimize risks like corruption, fraud and money laundering.
The Group-wide EQS INTEGRITY LINE whistleblowing system is one powerful tool here and allows employees and third parties to report violations or observations anonymously. The new Compliance Management and Fraud Prevention policies set the standards for responsible and ethical behavior. They follow the “prevent — detect — respond” approach and foster a speak-up culture of accountability where leadership serves as a role model.
A real honor: The DPOK 2025, the German online communication award
Security: Proactively shaping safeguards
Group Security and the site security teams are tasked with identifying and mitigating current and future risks. These include threats like crime, terrorism and malicious insiders as well as cargo protection and travel security. Group Security develops Group-wide security policies that are rolled out based on site and country specifications. This includes our new Travel Security System that has been further enhancing safe travel for Aurubis employees since November 2025.
Aurubis also launched the ‘It’s up to you. Make the right choice.’ Group-wide awareness campaign with a powerful message about safeguarding against the threat of malicious insiders. Part of the employee protection program, the campaign was highly acclaimed both internally and externally: It was honored with the prestigious DPOK 2025 — the German-speaking world’s most respected online communication award — and took Silver at the 2025 BCM Awards. Wide recognition in security circles and associations as a model for similar initiatives in other companies and the Aurubis Award 2025 in the Culture category also highlight the success and significance of the ongoing initiative.
Risk management: Identifying and assessing risks
Risk management at Aurubis means identifying, understanding, mitigating and monitoring potential risks as early as possible. Every site and expert function is responsible for managing its own risks. The Risk Management division ensures consistent reporting and promotes risk awareness through workshops and site visits.
Our speak-up culture is a crucial element embedded in the Risk Awareness action field of our Power for Performance culture target picture.
Aurubis — an attractive employer with great prospects
Aurubis offers more than just a job. We provide opportunities, nurture talent, and create an environment that enables people to grow.
Aurubis stands for reliability and forward thinking. As a leading company in the metals industry, we offer a stable work environment with space for personal development and attractive compensation. This guarantees that our employees receive competitive salaries — regardless of their individual role. A consistent Group-wide framework creates transparency while also considering regional specifics and cultural and market-specific differences. This is how we position ourselves as a trusted and attractive employer.
We see innovation as more than a buzzword — we actively invite new ideas and reward the courage it takes to question the status quo (see below). With incentive systems, we cultivate a culture where progress is par for the course and performance is celebrated. Our compensation system supports individual career advancement while also reinforcing collective achievement across the Aurubis network. Working for us opens doors to continued learning and growth. Our employees’ know-how is essential to upholding our global leadership role into the future.
We also prioritize employee retention and engagement. Our employer brand, ‘You are our most valuable element’, reflects this commitment: We offer a wide range of benefits, financial perks, and offerings for physical and mental well-being. Because we know that people who feel truly cared for can unlock their full potential.
Aurubis Awards: Honoring dedication, innovation and team spirit
Aurubis recognizes outstanding achievements and forward-looking projects across the Group with the Aurubis Awards. The awards are handed out in five categories every year to honor projects from throughout the company that are setting new standards, taking innovative paths, and highlighting our shared dedication in the Group. The Awards spotlight flagship projects generating lasting added value with passion and entrepreneurial spirit, and with participants who shine for their exceptional dedication, spirit of cooperation, and innovative thinking. With this recognition, Aurubis encourages a performance-oriented culture while raising the visibility of successful projects in the organization.
Network with impact
What started out as a network launched by female Aurubis employees in 2019 has grown into a central element of the Aurubis company culture today. Women4Metals (W4M) is an industry initiative dedicated to promoting women in the metals sector. Coffee breaks, panel discussions, mentoring programs, and trade fair booths all create opportunities for co-workers to share their knowledge, broaden their perspectives, and build networks.
Female Lifecycle Assessment: Actively shaping life stages
Together with W4M, Aurubis launched the Female Lifecycle Assessment project designed to develop tailored approaches to empower both women and the company as a whole.
Anonymous interviews with colleagues were the first step in systematically assessing all the phases of women’s lives — from caring for a family to mental load. The results are now being compiled and analyzed.
Cultivating talent and sparking interest
Young talent is the key to sustainable growth. Through excellent educational opportunities, modern learning modalities, and targeted development, Aurubis is building a pool of skilled professionals who combine innovation, efficiency and responsibility. Our apprenticeship programs impart hands-on knowledge and foster personal responsibility and digital skills — and make vocational training an essential part of our revised strategy. They help outfit the company to meet future challenges with in-house expertise and dedicated young professionals.
“Vocational training at Aurubis is a chance to grow in a forward-looking industry and leverage your talents.”
— Nils Gerstenkorn, Head of Vocational Training Aurubis Hamburg
Exceptional education
Training at Aurubis means assuming responsibility right from the start and actively shaping your own future. The success of this approach was recognized by Capital business magazine: For the fifth time in a row, Aurubis has been awarded the maximum five-star rating, ranking it one of Germany’s Best Training Companies in 2025.
Hands-on at heart
Projects like the “Markt der mint:Möglichkeiten” (Market of STEM Opportunities) give young people a chance to explore STEM careers at Aurubis. They can talk to apprentices and experience technology and chemistry up close. Workshops on metallurgy and materials such as copper also highlight how exciting the industry is and the diverse opportunities it offers young up-and-coming professionals.
School partnerships
Through long-term school partnerships like “MINT-Heldinnen” (STEM Heroines) Aurubis makes technical jobs accessible to school children — breaking down barriers, sparking interest, and fostering talent early on.
Modern talent recruitment
Digital channels have become an integral part of recruiting young talent: Instagram and TikTok offer authentic glimpses into the nitty-gritty of training and engage young people in their digital spaces.
Securing skilled professionals
The combination of awards, hands-on projects, school programs, and digital formats shows how dynamic, motivating and strategically relevant training at Aurubis is. It builds skills, promotes personal responsibility, and secures the expert workforce Aurubis needs worldwide for innovation, efficiency and sustainable growth long term.
Training at Aurubis
Aurubis offers training at a number of sites across Germany. In the 2024/25 fiscal year, around 307 apprentices and dual program students were enrolled in education at Aurubis. Fields of study include chemistry, metals, electrical engineering, and business. Practical learning and personal development create talent that drives innovation, efficiency and sustainability — securing the company’s skilled workforce for the future.
Further information can be found here.
