#WeAreSPIE: A conversation with Annabella Bolsenkötter
Annabella, how and when did you come to SPIE?
After finishing my Abitur in Munich in 2018, I moved to Berlin and partnered with SPIE to complete a dual study programme in technical facility management. I rotated through many different departments and got in-depth insights into the company and our services in technical facility management – commercial, sales and operational activities in the individual buildings and properties. Since I’ve always been enthusiastic about technology, I decided quickly that I would like to stay on the operational side. So after I finished my studies, I took up the Object Manager position in 2021.
What were your reasons for choosing SPIE?
I applied to several companies all over Germany, but SPIE convinced me right away. At that time, I was the first dual student in our branch and I already got the feeling in my job interview that SPIE offered a lot of opportunities and strong support if you wanted it. The company’s internationality and the diversity of its activities were also important reasons for my decision. And it was especially exciting that SPIE manages a broad portfolio of properties ranging from conventional office buildings to cultural sites. There’s different technology built into every property and every assignment has its own challenges, which keeps my daily work interesting.
Now you are looking after six administrative buildings at Fehrbelliner Platz in Berlin. What tasks does your job as Object Manager involve?
I have an extensive and varied range of tasks. It includes coordinating my team of nine people and our client’s subcontractors and contractual partners; planning maintenance, repairs and caretaker services; and coordinating infrastructure services. We also support our client with planned refurbishments or conversions. We get involved in the planning phase to work out various aspects to ensure smooth operation. And of course we always keep an eye on the technical systems. During building conversions, one of the things we check is how contaminated ventilation systems are. For example, if a system is too badly contaminated by dust from a construction site and could suffer malfunctions or failures during operation, we’ll go through the various options with the client and perhaps the system will even need to be replaced.
What qualities help you in your job?
I’m basically very positive and approach everything optimistically. And I’m very communicative and open to new things. That’s especially important in my job since we’re constantly introducing new technology to make processes more efficient and keep up with digitalisation. I’m also very determined. I usually come up with a plan for reaching my goal straight away.
What do you like most about your job?
I’d say it’s the combination of technology and working with people. My job brings me into contact with a lot of different people. I very much enjoy the dialogue with each and every one of them – the colleagues in my team or the Berlin branch, our suppliers and subcontractors, or our client. Working with my team is also a lot of fun. I especially like the way we always work on how we can improve processes even more or get even better as a team so we can suggest potential improvements to our client.
What have been your personal highlights at SPIE so far?
The biggest highlight so far was a month at our branch in Hamburg towards the end of my studies. That was when I wrote my bachelor’s thesis, in which I calculated the life cycle costs of the Elbphilharmonie. First I determined the service life of the technical systems and then the effect of the costs on the contract duration. It was an exciting project and an experience I definitely wouldn’t want to miss.
Another highlight is coming up – some time abroad in the Netherlands. Unfortunately, I couldn’t do that during my studies because of the pandemic. So I’m pleased all the more that I can make up for that now and help our Dutch colleagues roll out a new system in Germany. I’m very thankful for all these opportunities.
A more personal question to close: Do you have hidden talents that your colleagues don’t know about?
One talent I definitely can’t hide from them is singing (laughs). I always used to want to become a singer, and I actually pursued a singing career briefly. But my passion for technology won out and now I only sing and dance in my free time. Another hobby is boxing. It’s a good workout and a great way to relieve stress.
