The Fine Art of Implementing a Strong Corporate Culture across a Pan-European Company

Mathias de Mare, Head of Group HR, Catella [STO: CAT-B]

Transformations can be both an emotional and challenging journey. In these complex but necessary processes, the organisation needs to understand why changes are implemented to buy into the changes and related behaviour to be better positioned, increase efficiency, and promote long-term viability. At Catella, the key to success is the spirit of winning together.

Building a Sustainable Organisations

Catella is a medium-sized European investment company with local knowledge of the market through partnership entities spread across Europe. With 500 people in 12 countries across Europe, we believe in the power of teamwork. Our entrepreneurial spirit is ingrained in our DNA, and our employees' local knowledge and expertise, combined with their understanding of the market, make us unique.

During the past years, Catella has undergone a significant transformation, refining and revitalising our organisation. We have gone from being a financial conglomerate with a complicated history to a property-focused company with a clear direction in three distinct business areas with significant synergies.

The transformation has enabled us to establish a robust corporate culture that meets the expectations of all stakeholders. We needed a fresh start to align the behaviours that are necessary to achieve our goals. Our company culture is rooted in our vision and purpose, which were revised and updated with new corporate values that reflect the behaviours we need to stay at the forefront of our industry and attract and retain the best talent.

Ensuring Empowerment

As an HR professional, I've seen initiatives that don't lead to lasting behaviour change. To overcome this challenge, Catella believes in empowering the employees and providing them with the view that they have resources beyond what's immediately visible. Each employee should know that they have access to the collective intelligence and experience of 500 colleagues across Europe.

"Transformations can be both an emotional and challenging journey"

One step in establishing this view and not just becoming an initiative without long-lasting effect was the Catella Alignment tour. Group HR took the time to visit all offices and meet all the employees to further discuss the meaning of our vision and values and how it aligns with our daily work. Through the Alignment tour, we aim to create an aligned culture and values for a deeper understanding of our strategy. The tour has been an important and appreciated activity in establishing the foundation of our company, together unfolding the meaning of our culture and joint direction forward.

Creating the Next Generation of Leaders

Our employees hold the key to our continued success and growth in the industry. We want to break the tradition of conscious bias and enable a more diverse generation of future leaders. Therefore, we are dedicated to further unlocking their expertise and potential to remain at the forefront of the competition.

The best ideas and solutions come from the collective efforts of our team. The sum of our efforts can be much greater than our individual contributions. We can achieve multiplication if we break down barriers, use our intelligence across borders, and work together as a team. However, it is up to us as employers to unveil and enable these efforts.

A Sustainable Employer

As a sustainable employer, we are committed to creating an empowering environment that enables our colleagues to achieve their full potential. Furthermore, by cultivating an environment that encourages innovation and creativity, we aim to continue growing and excelling as a sustainable investment partner across Europe.

We strongly believe that investing in the development of employees and enabling stronger networks across the group is crucial to our continued success. To achieve this, we have created Catella Academy, our platform for development and collaboration.

The purpose is to foster growth through high-quality training, identify synergies that create value within the organisation, and enable stronger networks among employees. The academy is an integral part of our talent management strategy, helping us attract, develop, and retain top talent and drive both individual and company growth.

The academy is open to all employees within Catella, irrespective of seniority or position within the group. We believe that a mix of senior leaders and younger professionals exchanging knowledge and perspectives creates a healthy and sound platform for development. A board consisting of representatives across the group ensures that the academy attendees are diverse employees.

In conjunction with the establishment of Catella Alignment, we strongly believe that the introduction of Catella Academy is crucial for our future success. This initiative not only provides a more sustainable perspective on talent retention but also creates long-term value for both our employees and customers. Because - we win together.

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