Garbe Infrastructure, a new business unit of European real estate firm Garbe, has appointed Thomas Kallenbrunnen as its managing director.
The new division focuses on renewable energy, property-related infrastructure investments and engineering services. Kallenbrunnen will continue his role as managing director of Garbe Capital & Strategy. Joining him, Nikolaos Thomas, also a managing director, will assume the positions of chief operating officer (COO) and chief financial officer (CFO) for the new business unit.
Christopher Garbe, managing partner of Garbe, said: 'Infrastructure is a key growth driver for Garbe. By appointing Thomas Kallenbrunnen and Nikolaos Thomas to lead this new business unit, we are reinforcing our commitment to expanding expertise into infrastructure as a new asset class.'
Garbe Infrastructure is integral to implementing the company’s overarching 'sheds, beds & infrastructure' strategy, which organises its operations into three core business units: Garbe Industrial, Garbe Reside, and Garbe Infrastructure.
The new business unit consolidates Garbe’s activities in renewable energy (Garbe Green) and engineering services. Garbe is already a market leader in rooftop photovoltaic installations in Germany and aims to expand further into related property-linked segments such as social and digital infrastructure. The goal is to provide institutional investors with access to sustainable and profitable infrastructure investments through Garbe’s entrepreneurial approach.
Said Kallenbrunnen: 'I am thrilled to take on this new challenge and to work alongside a talented team to expand our presence in the infrastructure sector.
'The markets we are targeting are highly dynamic and cyclical, influenced by constant technological and regulatory change. We will adopt a carefully balanced approach to investment, evaluating risks and opportunities, while leveraging Garbe’s 360-degree approach in development and asset management.'
Kallenbrunnen brings over 20 years of professional and leadership experience to his role. This includes managing infrastructure valuation projects at PwC, leading an infrastructure fund-of-funds and consulting business at Helaba Invest, and working on infrastructure initiatives within a construction company.
Nikolaos Thomas, previously head of fund management/operations at Garbe Institutional Capital, brings nearly two decades of experience in institutional investment and fund management. His background includes senior roles at Helaba Invest, SEB, Credit Suisse, and Morgan Stanley.
