Property and finance specialist Catella is creating a €10 bn investment management platform, Catella Investment Management (CIM), effective 1 January 2025.
The new platform will be created from the merger of the front-office operations of its German subsidiaries, Catella Residential Investment Management (CRIM) and Catella Real Estate AG (CREAG).
This merger will streamline operations, offering clients access to a broader range of services and expertise across 25+ funds and 15 European countries. The combined entity will leverage shared resources to enhance product development and client service.
CRIM will be renamed CIM to reflect the broader range of property types it will manage. CREAG will retain its role as AIFM (Alternative Investment Fund Manager) and handle back-office functions for existing funds. This restructuring reflects Catella's strategy of maximizing synergies and developing higher-value services.
Catella Group's CIM Holding will become the controlling shareholder of both CIM and CREAG, providing shared services including HR, IT, and ESG advisory services to both subsidiaries.
Michael Keune and Michael Fink will lead CIM’s front-office operations as managing directors. Olena Posiko and Bernd Thalmeier will head the AIFM (CREAG), with Thalmeier serving as spokesperson. Volker Stix will manage CIM Holding. CIM will be headquartered in Berlin, with additional offices in Munich and Vienna.
Timo Nurminen, head of Investment Management at Catella, commented: ‘Historically, CRIM and CREAG stem from the same company, and this merger enables a more efficient fund Investment Management platform with close to 150 dedicated professionals.’
Michael Keune and Michael Fink, managing directors of CIM, from January 1, 2025, said: ‘With this organizational change and one-face to the market, our ability to serve our clients’ interests will improve significantly. It will provide us with excellent opportunities to further diversify and expand our more than 25 funds and portfolios within the segments and assets classes Residential, Office, Parking, Logistics and Mixed-use.’
Bernd Thalmeier, managing director for the AIFM-platform added: ‘The merger is a logical step to further strengthen our position in a new market environment and in the face of increasing competition. By pooling our expertise, resources and technologies, we are creating an even more powerful platform for our investors and partners. The aim is to respond to the needs of our investors while continuously ensuring the highest standards of quality and transparency in a more efficient and flexible way.’
