“I like being a generalist – and I am here to stay.”

Working at Deka Immobilien in the COO department, the central service unit of the Real Estate business division, is exactly my playing field. After completing interdisciplinary studies, specialising in sports science and economics, my career initially took me to a commercial law firm, from where I then made a lateral move to Deka Immobilien. Looking back, this decision was surprisingly easy for me, which was mainly due to Deka itself – because I already knew Deka Immobilien at that time as a major player with a long-standing global presence and expertise in the real estate market and also as a company that offers a wide range of opportunities for personal and professional development. It was clear to me from the outset that Deka was the right employer for me, as the openness and proactive support of my current colleagues and managers convinced and inspired me in choosing my career path and the associated personal development prospects.

Martin Zalewski, COO Asset Management Property / Personnel Management, Project and Coordination Management work started as a trainee in the Real Estate Management business division at Deka in 2022

What do I do in my job in the COO area? Simply out: provide my superiors and colleagues with the best possible support and make their work easier. Pave the way. Drive projects forward. Form networks. Review processes and support the development and implementation of strategic plans and objectives to ensure optimum productivity and efficiency in day-to-day business. The topics and tasks range from personnel management, digitalisation and data to property valuation, marketing, coordinating strategic topics and projects in close cooperation with various departments and, last but not least, supporting management in various administrative, organisational, and strategic tasks. The great thing about my work is that the impact is immediately recognisable and tangible – I find accompanying, shaping, and optimising the often diverse and very complex processes challenging, yet exciting.

TEAMWORK, OR: A TEAM THAT MAKES THINGS WORK:

The great thing about working in my team is that, even when things get challenging, we always find a solution together – and it works. These are small moments of success and happiness, both professionally and personally – for me, as a passionate footballer, they are comparable to playing a really good game with the team on the pitch. With a few actual goals, of course. We score them after work when training, too. It’s also a nice way to balance out the office job, a good opportunity for networking, and to get to know nice people from the Deka universe – even beyond Deka Immobilien.

WHY DEKA IMMOBILIEN?

I specifically chose Deka as an employer because it is one of the few companies on the market that covers the entire “property life cycle” internally – which gives me great development opportunities and prospects. This fact, coupled with the fact that I can work on the same floor as all my department colleagues and use the amenities and facilities of the fantastic building here in Frankfurt-Niederrad, is a real added value for me.

WORKING AT DEKA...

Consistency with an innovative spirit – Deka Immobilien has always successfully lived this supposed contradiction, and you feel this in everyday working life. By consistency, I mean the values that make the company successful: Reliability, stability, quality, financial strength, a sense of responsibility, integrity, cohesion, good co-operation and fun at work – of course, this is also part of it. You quickly get the feeling that you are in very good hands here at the company.