Thomas Kallenbrunnen leads new Business Unit GARBE Infrastructure – Nikolaos Thomas supports as COO/CFO

News 19/11/2024

Hamburg/Frankfurt, 19 November 2024 – GARBE, one of Europe’s leading real estate companies, has created a new business unit, GARBE Infrastructure GmbH, and appointed Thomas Kallenbrunnen as its Managing Director. The division focuses on renewable energy, property-related infrastructure investments and engineering services. In addition to this new responsibility, Kallenbrunnen will continue his role as Managing Director of GARBE Capital & Strategy. Joining him, Nikolaos Thomas will be appointed Managing Director, assuming the positions of Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for the new business unit.

Christopher Garbe, Managing Partner of GARBE, commented: “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. For years, we have successfully combined economics and sustainability under the banner of ‘Sustainonomics.’ Infrastructure demands a deep understanding of site selection, optimal utilisation, project management, and development—areas where GARBE excels with people on the ground in 20 offices in 13 countries.”

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.

Thomas Kallenbrunnen, Managing Director of GARBE Infrastructure, said: “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. He holds an MBA from the TRIUM programme (a joint initiative by the London School of Economics, HEC Paris, and NYU Stern School of Business) and has completed a doctorate focused on public-private partnerships.

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.