KanAm Grund Group fills new position Head of Sustainable Asset Strategy with Manuel Hein

Manuel Hein (36) has joined KanAm Grund Group in October in his new role as Associate Director, Head of Sustainable Asset Strategy. He was previously employed as Senior Technical Asset Manager in the company's Investment and Asset Management Germany division since January 2021. In the newly created position, he is responsible for the operational implementation of the sustainability optimization measures planned in advance at property level. These include, for example, energy optimization of the properties, implementation of the sustainability certification strategy and definition and implementation of climate protection measures at property level. Manuel Hein reports directly to Olivier Catusse, Managing Partner at KanAm Grund Group. 

Olivier Catusse, Managing Partner at KanAm Grund Group, says: ‘We are very pleased that Manuel Hein is managing and implementing the issue of sustainability, which is important to us, at property level. With help of the Sustainability & Analysis team, we have already been able to achieve a great deal in recent years with regard to the development of a suitable ESG strategy for LEADING CITIES INVEST - particularly against the backdrop of increasing regulatory requirements and also on the part of investors and tenants. Based on his technical expertise and experience, Manuel Hein will now drive the implementation of the strategy at the real estate level. Specifically, the focus will be on measures to reduce CO2 emissions.’  

Manuel Hein started his career 8 years ago at Drees & Sommer, the German market leader for consulting on all aspects of planning, building and operating real estate. There he advised clients from various sectors worldwide, in particular on efficient real estate operation, operator strategies, cost reductions and operator organization. He gained further experience in the field of renewable energies and the energy market as an Asset Manager for wind and solar parks at Green City Operations & Management GmbH. In addition, the engineer has been teaching the module Building Management at the TH Bingen/Rhein in the Master's programme Energy and Building and Environmental Management for 6 years. Manuel Hein holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Energy and Environmental Management and a Master of Science in Energy and Building Management. He achieved further competencies through additional training as a certified DGNB Consultant and DGNB ESG Manager.

The issue of sustainability is of great importance to the KanAm Grund Group. With the qualification of the open-ended mutual real estate fund LEADING CITIES INVEST as an ‘Article 8 plus fund’ in accordance with SFDR and MiFID II as of 1 August 2022, an important milestone in the company's sustainability strategy and competitiveness has been reached with the help of the Sustainability & Analysis department. The internal working group Green Building was founded in 2009 and initially focused on the certification of the properties. This was followed in 2018 by the appointment of two Sustainability Officers. In the meantime, the team of Helena Ivanovic, Director, Head of Sustainability & Analysis, and Elif Arul, Associate Director, Sustainability & Analysis, has grown to five. The main focus of the division Sustainability & Analysis is the development of an ESG strategy in relation to KanAm Grund Group's corporate sustainability, as well as strategic advice and support for the implementation of this strategy by the individual departments. The position of Head of Sustainable Asset Strategy was created and filled with Manuel Hein in order to drive forward operational implementation at property level in an even more targeted and rapid manner. There are also plans to expand the number of employees in the department.