Building a culture where everyone can grow Interview with Çisil Güler, Global Head of DE&I and Engagement at Astemo
At Astemo, we believe innovation starts with people. When everyone feels seen, heard, and valued, we create that kind of workplace where bold ideas can flourish, and sustainable growth becomes possible.
In this interview, meet Çisil Güler, who stepped into the role of Astemo Global Head of DE&I and Engagement in October 2024. She’s now leading a new chapter in our culture journey—placing people at the heart of everything we do with a strong focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I).
Read on to learn how DE&I is shaping our Employee Experience & Culture strategy, why it matters to all of us at Astemo, and how we’re creating a workplace where everyone feels they belong —and bring their best—every day.
Q1: Çisil, can you tell us a bit more about your journey within Astemo and what brought you to this role?
Absolutely. I joined the company in 2017 as HR manager at the Bursa plant in Türkiye. From there, I moved to Paris in 2022 to lead Talent Management for the Brake Business Unit, an experience that deepened my appreciation for the diversity of people, teams, cultures across Astemo. So, when I was appointed as Head of DE&I and Engagement, it felt like a natural next step—and a chance to help shape the culture we all want to be a part of.
Q2: What does DE&I mean at Astemo today?
At Astemo, DE&I is part of who we are. It’s embedded in our company values: “Embrace diversity as our valuable asset, and respect equity and inclusion.” That means recognizing all our differences as real strengths—and making sure everyone has a fair opportunity to contribute and grow.
DE&I isn’t a trend or just about our internal culture, it’s about our responsibility as a global company. Respecting and promoting universal Human Rights—no matter someone’s gender, nationality, beliefs, abilities, or background— is at the heart of our commitment. DE&I is a full part of our Employee Experience, alongside what matters most to our people: feeling engaged, recognized, supported, and able to grow. When people feel they belong, they’re empowered to do their best.
Q3: How does this all connect with your new integrated Employee Experience strategy?
We are building an Employee Experience model that brings together DE&I, Engagement, and Culture under one unified vision. Why? Because employee experience shapes everything——from how people feel on Monday mornings to how they grow over the years.
This strategy helps us look at the big picture. From leadership behaviors and HR policies to how we run meetings or celebrate differences, every aspect of our culture matters. Ultimately, we want Astemo to be a place where people feel empowered, included, and inspired—where they want to join, stay, grow, and give their best.
That’s not just good for employees—it’s good for business. By creating a workplace where diverse talent thrives, we strengthen our ability to deliver better ideas, better decisions, and better solutions for our customers.
Q4: What actions and initiatives is Astemo taking for DE&I?
We are moving from words to action. Our roadmap includes:
Rolling out the Employee Experience & Culture Policy, globally
Reviewing our HR practices—from hiring and promotion to performance and compensation—through a lens of fairness and equity
Delivering trainings on inclusive leadership, unconscious bias trainings, and more
Launching women’s empowerment programs and piloting leadership development
Raising awareness through key campaigns like Pride Month, International Women’s Day, and World Mental Health Day
Embedding Human Rights and fairness as shared responsibility
These aren’t just activities—they are signals of the workplace we are building.
Q5: How are we measuring progress?
We’re tracking our impact through clear KPIs tied to Employee Experience. That includes:
Our Employee Experience & Engagement index, with goals for continuous, long-term improvement
The representation of women across the company and in leadership roles
The nationality mix within our executive team
Regional and global targets to ensure progress is inclusive and balanced
Transparency is important. Measuring helps us stay accountable—and learn where we can do better.
Q6: What’s next in this transformation?
We are just getting started. The next step is to bring our Employee Experience framework to life—embedding it across teams and regions, and everyday practices. That means supporting inclusive leadership, fostering collaboration across cultures, and making sure every employee has a voice.
We aim to be recognized as one of the best places to work in our industry—with a strong, value-driven culture. Not just a company that values people—but a place where everyone can thrive. Because when our people grow, our business does too. That’s how we’ll deliver the best mobility solutions to the world—together.