People Strategy and Approach

SMG’s employees are fundamental to delivering its purpose and driving long-term value. The People Strategy is designed to make SMG more competitive and to foster the culture and leadership needed to support high performance.

With a diverse workforce of over 900 employees in seven countries, SMG aims to provide attractive working conditions, fair opportunities, and a safe, inclusive, and supportive workplace. These priorities are reflected in the 2025 DMA, which identified “employee experience and working conditions” and “equal treatment and opportunities” as core people-related topics.

Empowering Employees for the Greatest Impact

SMG provides an environment in which employees can contribute meaningfully, continue learning throughout their careers, and feel equipped to perform at their best. These drivers of satisfaction and engagement underpin SMG’s ability to innovate, grow, and deliver value.

Employees at a Glance

at 31 December \| in headcount	Women	Men	2025	2024

Switzerland	208	384	592	644
Serbia	42	101	143	114
India	32	41	73	72
Vietnam	12	44	56	53
France	11	27	38	31
Germany¹	5	21	26	25
Total headcount²	310	618	928	939

1Employees based in Austria are included under Germany for confidentiality reasons.

2This table includes 25 interns and apprentices. All subsequent employee tables exclude interns and apprentices; totals are therefore not directly comparable.

HR Governance and Policies

At SMG, employer-employee relations are governed by policies and regulations issued by HR, alongside applicable laws in each jurisdiction. These policies set standards for employment terms, benefits, and compensation. They are reviewed regularly to keep them effective and aligned with strategic priorities.

The Code of Conduct also sets out the Group’s expectations around ethical behaviour, mutual respect, equal treatment, and a safe and supportive working environment. In 2025, SMG introduced a diversity and inclusion (D&I) strategy to guide its efforts to foster diversity and promote equal opportunities.

The Director of HR leads people and culture management practice at SMG, supported by the Director of International Locations, who is integrated into the global HR function and oversees country-level HR execution through local management teams. Employee-related risks are regularly assessed and integrated into the ERM framework. People practices at SMG reflect a combination of shared priorities and locally established approaches.

SMG’s People Strategy Framework

SMG’s People Strategy¹⁶ focuses on building critical skills, supporting meaningful career development, and fostering a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing culture. It is built around four pillars.

Employee Breakdown

at 31 December \| in headcount	Permanent	Temporary	Full-time	Part-time	Total

Switzerland	563	7	419	151	570
Serbia	140	1	141	0	141
India	73	0	73	0	73
Vietnam	56	0	56	0	56
France	35	2	34	3	37
Germany¹	25	1	22	4	26
Women	294	5	213	86	299
Men	598	6	532	72	604
Total headcount ²	892	11	745	158	903

1Employees based in Austria are included under Germany for confidentiality reasons.

2Of this total, 13 employees have non-guaranteed hours contracts.

The majority of employees across all SMG locations work on a full-time basis. SMG remains committed to flexibility through various work arrangements, including hybrid models and adaptable working hours where feasible. In 2025, in addition to 11 temporary employees, SMG employed 25 apprentices and interns in Switzerland. SMG also engaged 97 non-employees in 2025, primarily freelancers and contractors hired for specific services or project-based work. These roles enable teams to access specialised expertise such as consulting, graphic design, and copywriting for specific projects.