Q&A with Luca Krämling, Vice President, Investments in Frankfurt, Germany

Tell us about your role at Slate Asset Management.

I am a Vice President on the Investments team in the Frankfurt office. I joined Slate in March of 2020, right at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, which made for an interesting dynamic in my first few months on the job.

My main responsibilities include managing all aspects of the real estate acquisition cycle for Slate. This begins with sourcing new deals and includes underwriting, financial modelling, and due diligence. Additionally, I manage different stakeholder relationships, which gives me the opportunity to speak with external advisors and engage with various banks. Once a deal is finalized, the team oversees the entire onboarding process to ensure our investments are well integrated into the broader Slate platform.

What strengths are most important for working in investments?

Having an analytical mindset and being detail oriented is paramount. When we work on deals, the team manages a lot of numbers, and it’s important to ensure that transactions are penciled out properly. Secondly, being a strong communicator is a crucial skill in investments when sourcing new investment opportunities — going out and building a personal network and investing in relationships that fit with Slate’s goals and values. Operating in the European market also requires a cultural awareness and business understanding of different jurisdictions. Each country has its own distinct economic and social considerations — understanding this and knowing how to conduct yourself accordingly is key to building relationships and managing operations throughout the region.

What are the best strategies you use to collaborate with others in your role?

With Slate being a global company, communicating effectively across regions is critical to the success of our business. When working across different teams, it’s important to be understanding and mindful of each department’s priorities and consider how these may differ from my own requests. This display of empathy for priorities beyond your own department is especially important when looking at new investments, as we have a lot of touchpoints with other teams across the Slate business.

What motivates you?

No two days at Slate are the same, which allows me to gain new knowledge and discover my strengths and abilities every single day. I’ve had the opportunity to work on pretty pioneering projects – new investments or initiatives that don’t have a precedent I can easily reference. This forces me to become an expert in the subject I’m working on, gathering insights and research for my own awareness and for the benefit of the broader team. That’s an experience I find very compelling and motivating. Another great motivator at Slate is the culture and people I am surrounded by — our Slate team is extremely driven and hardworking, which pushes me to maintain the same level of diligence in my own work.

Tell us about a project you’re working on or have recently completed that you are proud of.

Over the past two years, I have played a significant role in expanding Slate’s European investments from Germany to three new markets in Europe: Norway, Austria, and Slovakia. I’m very proud of this accomplishment – it was an exciting challenge to not only enter these markets, but to also operate successfully within them. A cornerstone of this success was our strategy of hiring people on the ground within each country, ensuring that Slate has boots on the ground and a tailored approach in each individual market.

What is non-negotiable in your daily routine?

After my workday is over, the team and I like to make use of our corporate gym membership and squeeze in a workout together, which is a great way of decompressing after a stressful day while further bonding as a team. Additionally, spending time with my wife, cooking, and talking about our days passed is key to “recharge” on a daily basis.