October 1 marks a new beginning: Christine Bernhofer will take over as Chair of the Management Board (CEO) at Real I.S. As announced in March, the 56-year-old will succeed Jochen Schenk, who is retiring. The BayernLB fund service provider has chosen an external candidate with Bernhofer, who has however been a member of the Real I.S. Group board since October 2023.

„I joined because Real I.S. is the top player in the Munich market," said Bernhofer, who knows the real estate industry inside out. From October 2016 to 2023, she worked as CEO of Swiss Life KVG, building the capital management company from the ground up. In July 2019, she also took on the role of COO at Swiss Life Asset Managers Germany, where she oversaw corporate strategy development, fund management, and sales.

Why didn’t Bernhofer opt for a publicly listed company? Real I.S. offers significant stability, she explains, providing a strong foundation for future growth. „I like growth, but not at any cost.", she says, noting that listed companies must deliver quarterly updates, but whether those align with existing or potential customers isn’t always certain.

„We don’t have that pressure here," she says. Real I.S. will not take on excessive risks. In the current market, the main danger is that less resilient fund providers might make decisions they will regret two years from now.

Bernhofer has no plans to overhaul Real I.S., commenting that „we are a real estate asset manager, and we don’t need to reinvent ourselves.“ Her goal is to bring Real I.S. closer to its clients. A customer focus project has already underlined that both investors and tenants are key customers. „That’s an important addition I could bring to the table“, she says.

Bernhofer believes customer orientation must become part of Real I.S.'s DNA. Every employee contributes to client relations, even those in the back office. „Everyone needs to understand that ultimately, the client pays us“, she explains. This mindset will be emphasised moving forward, as it is crucial for the company's success.

Bernhofer plans to advance a digitalization program that Real I.S. initiated, and has been managed by long-time Real I.S. manager Stephan Mühlbauer since the beginning of the year. The board will continue to have three members: Franz Krewel will join the board on October 1 due to Schenk's departure, while Bernd Lönner remains on board as vice chairman.

Bernhofer brings a wealth of other experience. Before joining Swiss Life, she was Managing Director (CFO/COO) of UBS Real Estate Kapitalanlagegesellschaft and Head of Fund Operations Real Estate Europe for UBS Global Real Estate. From 2004 to 2005, she was Managing Director in a CFO/COO role at TMW Pramerica Property Investment.

The business administration graduate, who holds a Ph.D. from Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, also completed a banking apprenticeship at Sparkasse Weilheim between 1987 and 1989. This experience provided Bernhofer with insight into public-law institutions, a philosophy she values: „We can truly focus on long-term planning“, she says.