Work

Expert Hub Compensation & Benefits

Know-how in action

ONEGLOBE has given rise to a network of Expert Hubs that are on hand to assist all Business Partners and the Global Functions with their know-how. Four colleagues from Berlin describe how that interaction works.

Expert Hub Compensation & Benefits (from left to right): Aysegul Iyisan, Doralina Hoffmann-Lazar, Karolina Szczepanska and Nataliya Markina

The headcount at KWS Berlin exceeded the 200 mark for the first time in October. The diversity in the workforce at Berlin is also an indicator of the increasing internationalization at KWS: Colleagues from more than 40 countries now work at Potsdamer Platz in the various departments of Global Functions.

The Expert Hub Compensation & Benefits, which was founded last year, represents on a small scale what ONEGLOBE stands for in the big picture: internationalization and modern work in connected, standardized processes.

Four-strong team

The Expert Hub has been headed by Karolina Szczepanska since November 2018. She was born in Poland, worked until recently in Luxembourg, and has now moved to Berlin to join KWS – as did most of her team of female experts: While Doralina Hoffmann-Lazar, who hails from Romania, has already been living in Berlin for nine years, Aysegul Iyisan relocated from Turkey to the German capital last summer with her family, and Nataliya Markina only recently moved to Berlin from Moscow.

These colleagues share a fascination for an innovative plant breeding company that, located in the heart of Berlin, nurtures global ambitions. However, another factor was key to the decision by all four to join KWS: They could already feel its family atmosphere, positive energy and desire to become an agile global company in their selection interview.

Tasks of the new Expert Hub

The connected way of working of the Expert Hubs is also evident in their range of tasks and in the team’s daily routines. The team works on global issues such as the new company-wide “Global Compensation Philosophy,” which will form the future framework for the various incentive and compensation systems at KWS.

The hubs also support the HR Business Partners in requests about operational and stragegic matters from the various Business Units. One example is assistance in grouping positions in the existing salary structure, consulting on remuneration packages, or the organization of internal international assignments.

When colleagues are posted to other countries, for example, the team’s expertise enables it to take account of an employee’s individual situation, the interests of the companies involved, the laws of the home and host countries, and international tax and social security regulations.

Consulting for Global Functions is vital

Another important task of the Expert Hub is therefore to provide advice, which the functions and Business Units can obtain through the HR Business Partners. Doralina Hoffmann-Lazar, who is responsible for the subject of international mobility, emphasizes that “colleagues are often uncertain about how best to proceed in such a case or how many aspects related to an international posting need to be considered. We’re happy to advise and assume responsibility for fleshing out the specifics, which we then implement together with our colleagues from the Global Transaction Center.”

“The advisory function is also important.”

Focus on core business

“By offering these internal services, our Expert Hub aims to ensure that KWS acts in accordance with the laws in the various countries and with its own company-wide compliance guidelines,” says the Head of the Expert Hub, Karolina Szczepanska.

“As a result, we contribute to the company’s success because at the end of the day a prime mission of ONEGLOBE is to enable colleagues in operational business to focus on what helps all of us move forward: KWS’ core business.”

You can find more information on the work of our colleagues and on the subject of international assignments on the intranet site of ExH Compensation & Benefits.

ONEGLOBE

Glossary

Global Functions

The overarching company-wide topics at KWS and its Business Units are pooled in seven Global Functions:

Controlling
Finance & Procurement
Human Resources
Legal & IP
Marketing & Communications
Global Transaction Center

Expert Hub

More than twenty Expert Hubs at KWS pool expertise on a wide range of different specialist subjects in the ONEGLOBE structure. They support the Global Functions in drafting guidelines and strategies. However, they are also on hand to help the Business Partners deal with technical inquiries from the Business Units.

The Transition Team will be pleased to receive feedback on ONEGLOBE by e-mail at: AskGLOBE@kws.com

List & short descriptions of Expert Hubs at KWS

Global Procurement

COM1: Indirect Services & Goods

Responsible for all strategic procurement activities for goods and services that are required for everyday work, like office material, cleaning services but also consulting, IT needs, marketing or HR services and similar.

COM 2: CAPEX, Technical Goods and Services

Responsible for all strategic procurement activities for investment projects (CAPEX), technical equipment and machines (e.g. harvesters), laboratory equipment, R&D services but also gardening supplies, tools, health and safety needs and similar.

COM3: Direct Material & Services, OPEX

Responsible for all strategic procurement activities for material and services that are used in production or are going into the final products like treatments, packaging but also logistics and waste. The expert hub also supports on standardisation of contracts for seed multiplying.

Global Finance

Audit & IFRS Desk

Supports Finance in setting KWS’ accounting principles in accordance with International Financial Accounting Standards and is acting as key contact for external and internal auditors

General Ledger & Closing

Implements and maintains the local and IFRS accounting compliance during the final preparation of KWS Group closings processes. Consolidation of IFRS-packages to group financial statements.

Investor Relations / External Reporting

Responsible for communicating the company’s strategy, goals and financial performance to the capital market (e.g. debt & equity investors, analysts, retail shareholders) and facilitates the external financial reporting process incl. quarterly and annual reports.

Taxes & Duties

Provides specialist tax advice and guidance on tax areas for direct and indirect taxes to KWS globally. Create international tax guidelines, monitors international tax changes, sets internal standards and ensures global tax compliance together with GTC Tax team.

Treasury & Insurance

Provides advice, solutions and governance for: financing related activities including cash management, FX and money markets, guarantees issuance, as well as insurance and credit management. Own and manage relationships with banks and insurance providers.

Global IT

IT Applications CT/FI/HR

Manages and supports all IT applications in the area of Finance, Controlling and Human Resources.

Customer Service

Implements, manages and supports customer-related IT solutions (CRM, websites, digital services, mobile apps, shop systems) to improve the digital marketing activities and meet the customer centricity strategy. The expert hub is also responsible for the further development of the intranet and for collaborative work with various Office365 tools.

Infrastructure & Service Management

Supports global IT Infrastructure-, IT Security- and IT Service Management standards. The expert hub coordinates global Area network connections, global PC Hardware & Software standards, and on-site data center operations. It coordinates all IT backend providers and contracts, and takes care of technical IT security, IT license management and the KWS IT Service Management Suite (Ticket System Matrix42).

SAP Technology

Implements, manages and supports all SAP technology and their application. Evaluates new SAP technologies and applications, and their potential benefits for KWS. Manages all SAP-related tasks for authorizations, data and license management.

IT Applications Supply Chain

Manages and supports all SAP IT applications and interfaces in the area of the Supply Chain (Procurement, Field Production, Processing, Quality-Management, Warehouse-Management, Plant Maintenance, Sales and Shipping).

Global Controlling

Controlling Data & Demand Management

Interface to IT for all controlling related topics. We support all controlling colleagues to place their IT demands properly. The expert hub is also responsible for all controlling related SAP roles & authorities.

Controlling Functional Cost and Projects

Defines content and standard processes for specific functional and project controlling according to functional needs and KWS controlling strategy.

Group and Investment Controlling

Defines and maintains internal management reporting according to KWS steering model, EXB and BU requirements; provides internal consolidated reports and steers group planning and forecast process

Sales & Production Controlling

Defines standard production and sales controlling processes and methods at KWS in close cooperation with Business Units.

Global Legal & IP

Legal

Defines and administers the Global Contract Management securing that all KWS contracts are archived and administered in one central database. The Contract Management also provides support to all contract owners in contract execution and implementation. Besides, the Expert Hub Legal provides expertise in overall legal topics such as corporate, labor and competition law.

Global HR

Compensation & Benefits

Defines and manages the “Global Compensation Philosophy”, which sets the frame for all compensation and benefit systems at KWS Group. It provides advice on the pay band structure and international mobility.

Employer Branding & Talent Attraction

Position KWS as an employer of choice with the ability to consistently attract sought talent across our key and growth markets. Develop constantly the Employer Brand and adapt to market. Develop and implement focused marketing approaches towards universities, institutions and the employment market to significantly increase KWS’s attractiveness.

HR Systems & Data Management

Manages the global framework for the digitalization of HR processes, providing governance on HR master data, ensuring compliance to both global and local regulations, and providing subject matter expertise on HR-IT collaboration projects.

Performance & Employee Development

Offers innovative and diverse initiatives and programs to support KWS´ commitment to people development, talent identification, and leadership culture.

Global Marketing & Communications

Brand Management

In charge of setting and implementing the standards for KWS brands. Advises on the use of KWS brands and manages the KWS BrandNet.

Content & Channel Management

In charge of digital marketing channels, such as KWS Websites and the intranet, as well as for all Social Media channels and the production of video and picture material for the whole KWS group.

Corporate / Strategic Communications

Responsible for all corporate and strategic communications. Shapes the identity of KWS via external and internal communication, delivers relevant news and creates new platforms for exchange, such as Meet the EXB.

Customer Management

In charge of globe CRM System Salesforce (Sales, Marketing, Commerce), digital farming solutions (CULTIVENT, myKWS), market and customer data analytics and pricing-framework.

Public Affairs & Arts

Responsible for KWS’ community engagement, donations & sponsoring, and KWS’ arts engagement. Corporate Citizenship initiates local and regional development projects. The ExH maintains the corporate art collection and organizes art exhibitions in the BiT and in the KWS Art Lounge NEWCOMER in the city of Einbeck