“Diversity and innovation: Every property brings exciting challenges!”

Back in my first professional position at an audit firm, I had early points of contact with Deka owing to the audit management of real estate funds. Even then, I was impressed by the clear structures and professionalism I saw in action at Deka. When a position in the real estate fund accounting department at Deka became vacant in 2011, I took the opportunity and moved positions. I was assigned to manage the fixed asset accounting and reporting group three years later, and afterwards also accounts receivable. My focus was not only on operational management, but also on refining and streamlining processes and the associated cross-team collaboration.

Now I have been working at Deka Immobilien for 15 years, and I am still the head of the fixed asset accounting team. We handle the annual financial statements for the real estate funds, along with recording purchases and sales of properties and real estate companies. Accuracy and an eye for detail are incredibly important in this area, as our data is the basis for many reports – for investors, auditors or even regulatory authorities, for example.

Anastasia Sempner, Head of Fixed Asset Accounting, joined Deka Immobilien in 2011.

MY DEKA MOMENT:

I have a really clear recollection of my early days at Deka Immobilien, when I started to think during a process that there might be a way to make it more efficient. The proposal was very well received by both my team and the management level. I noticed that ideas are appreciated in this company and improvements are widely approved. This experience taught me how important it is to create an environment in which employees are encouraged to regularly question processes and procedures and to contribute fresh ideas.

Deka Immobilien promotes the creativity and innovative strength of its employees, offering them the opportunity to take responsibility for challenging and varied projects that create real added value and allow us to grow and evolve together. From automating market value booking to digital interfaces and beyond to more efficient booking processes – if you are creative, work together with others and think ahead, then you will find the right solutions.

I would not have thought at the start of my professional life that I would ever delve so deeply into system landscapes, regulatory requirements and data models. But that’s exactly what my job is all about today – and I do it with great pleasure. We are currently launching the cross-departmental SAP S/4HANA project, which will future-proof our IT system and bring benefits for Deka Immobilien. In the digital age, we need to be able to interpret an ever-increasing volume of data, operate flexibly and quickly on the market, and accurately analyse our own economic situation.

WHY REAL ESTATE IN PARTICULAR?

Because it is tangible. But also because “real assets” are multi-layered and challenge you in a new way every day: as investment objects, as a system-side challenge, as an asset that needs to be recorded precisely for tax purposes. Whether we are working with hotels, office properties, shopping malls or logistics facilities – each segment has its own requirements. This broad spectrum is what makes my work so varied.

There is almost no such thing as a “standard” purchase. Rather, each property has its own particularities – it is often the case that close coordination with numerous departments is required, from acquisition staff to the real estate valuation team to the legal department, in order to think through all aspects of the transaction and assess the impact on other areas. This interconnected thinking is fundamental to our work – and our attitude of always thinking outside the box.

STRONG TOGETHER AS A TEAM:

An open, collegial leadership style is especially important to me. I want people to be able to grow and develop – professionally and personally; I want them to feel confident asking questions, secure in knowing that we bear responsibility – and we do so together.

People from different countries and age groups and with very different backgrounds work in my team. That very fact is our strength. We have employees who are being reintegrated after a break, colleagues who are learning German on the side, and talented junior staff who are curious about responsibility. Diversity is not an objective for us; it’s how we live each day. It’s not just the outcome that counts here – but also how we get there together.