Diversity within the Company is one of Henkel’s ingredients for success. We are convinced that the different cultures and skills of our employees help us to understand our markets better, underpinning our long-term success. It is a source of creative, innovative and economic strength. We therefore further each employee’s abilities and appreciate their individual characters and special qualities as valuable to the company. This appreciation is embodied in our Code of Conduct and the Code of Teamwork & Leadership. Henkel has publicly demonstrated its commitment to diversity, for example by signing the Diversity Charter. And in 2007, we established an organizational unit for Global Diversity Management.

We want people of different origins and ages, and with a variety of individual abilities, to work together effectively and happily at our Company. Diversity is therefore an important component of our corporate culture. We strive to identify and eliminate barriers that limit individual development perspectives. In 2006, on the basis of our “diversity cockpit,” we formulated a variety of objectives and programs to promote even greater diversity at Henkel. This cockpit shows a trio of diversity factors – age, gender and internationality – in Henkel’s worldwide management structure.

Worldwide, 9,200 employees hold managerial positions. The share of women in management is about 25 percent. In total, about 6,550 non-German managers from 80 countries were working for Henkel at the end of 2007.

Balancing family and career is a topical sociopolitical theme in many countries today and is a focal aspect of diversity management. We know that we can only use the abilities and talents of our employees to the best effect by helping them to master the challenges of combining the demands of family and career.

Henkel supports its employees in their efforts to coordinate their dedication to their careers and their plans for their private lives. The Family and Career working group develops objectives and solutions for the Company’s German sites. Special attention is given to providing day care for children under 3 years of age. In 2006, the number of day care places at the Düsseldorf site was more than tripled, to a total of 26. In addition, the external “Family Service” bureau and Henkel’s “Social Services” help employees in Germany to locate day care facilities for their children or for other family members who require care and attention. They can also put employees in touch with specialist personnel and, if necessary, provide advice.

In Austria, Henkel cooperates with the “Employee Service”  company to offer its employees comprehensive advice and support in regard to conflict mediation, health, pregnancy and family matters. In Spain, together with service provider “Más Vida Red” (More Life Net), Henkel is establishing a program at its sites offering a variety of courses and services on the theme of family and career.

Further recognition of Henkel’s family-conscious human resources policy: in Germany, we were presented with the “audit beruf und familie” (family and career audit) certificate of the non-profit Hertie Foundation. The audit – under the patronage of Federal Family Minister Dr. Ursula von der Leyen – is a management tool designed to promote and continuously improve a family-conscious corporate culture. It has come to be regarded as the seal of quality for family-friendly human resources policies.