1. What do you do in your day-to-day work and what do you like best about it?

Each day presents a unique set of tasks for me, given the diverse nature of my responsibilities, which are contingent upon the specific demands of ongoing projects. Managing closed-ended property funds includes tasks such as generating reports, planning distribution and conducting various analyses. The property sales in recent years, have meant an increase in investor communication and the strategic planning of subsequent investments for these funds. Additionally, I am tasked with overseeing property-related investments for Vestinas GmbH. Continual evaluation of opportunities and responsive action to market trends characterize our investment approach, whether through direct investments, joint ventures, or participations. For instance, we have facilitated Vestinas GmbH projects by issuing bearer bonds. Furthermore, I am increasingly engaged in developing new product concepts, necessitating regular and substantive collaboration with other specialized departments. 

What I find most gratifying about my daily work is its inherent diversity. I appreciate the challenges and dynamism as each investment requires a bespoke approach and fresh analyses. This necessitates a close alignment with market trends and extensive collaboration across various departments and with specialists. 
 

2. What has been your most important project so far and what project are you working on at present?

Determining the most important project from my portfolio is tricky as each has significance for different reasons. Recently, we've completed several challenging property sales and realized several bearer bond issues. Every project presents unique challenges. Currently, I'm focused on setting up a joint venture, financing a follow-up investment, and developing new up-to-date product ideas. Despite these ongoing projects, I prioritize processing past sales and investments.
 

3. Why did you choose to work in the investment management field?

After focusing on capital market theory and international finance during my Bachelor's, I realized I wanted to dive deeper into this field for my Master's. Once I finished my studies, I knew I wanted to specialize in valuing and managing different assets, tracking capital market developments and crafting new investment approaches. What really excites me about the investment world is how everything keeps evolving. It's all about constantly finding fresh ideas and strategies that will work for investors in the future. Most importantly, it's not just about economic factors; we also need to think about the environmental and social impact of investments, keep up with regulations, and understand how the broader economy affects everything. Plus, seeing an investment grow from an idea to a success story is incredibly motivating. To stay up-to-date with the latest academic insights, I decided to pursue additional training to become a Chartered Financial Analyst® alongside my job.
 

4. What challenges do you face in your day-to-day work?

You can probably gather the challenges I face from what I've mentioned earlier, and they're actually some of the most exciting parts of my job. The constant changes in the markets and what investors want really shake things up for us day-to-day. It's not always easy, especially with interest rates shooting up like they have over the past couple of years. The property market has changed completely during this time so we're constantly brainstorming new ideas to keep up with investor demands. I think we'll be relying more on new software tools in the future to keep up with what's happening in the market.

5. How do you see your future at the Doric Group and the future of the investment management in general? 

The upcoming years will hold a lot of opportunities for us to realize. Since I'm always brainstorming new business and product ideas, I expect we'll be launching many exciting projects to boost our success and that of our investors. A big plus of the Doric Group is how flexible we are—we can adapt to market changes quickly and in an agile way. This means we can respond to shifts in the market and what investors want and jump on opportunities as they arise. By using new tech, having a clear market strategy, sticking to our values, and having a strong network, we’ll keep growing the investment management field and offering lots of exciting investment opportunities.
 

6. What are you passionate about in your free time?

It's very important to me to strike a balance in my daily routine to keep myself highly motivated and creative. I love traveling because it opens up new perspectives, recharges my batteries, and exposes me to fascinating cultures. Staying active is a big part of my life too—I enjoy hitting the gym, going for runs, biking, or going on long hikes. Lately, I've been thinking about getting back into golfing. Spending quality time with friends and family is a top priority for me, and it often shapes my weekend plans. I'm also super passionate about art in all its forms, especially music, museums, and trying out different types of food. Continuous learning is really important to me as well, whether it's certificates and the broad range of material the CFA Institute® provides or keeping up with the latest trends in capital markets through academic studies.