NZZ “Job interview – the career interview” 11 questions for Claude Ginesta

What do you look forward to most when you arrive at work in the morning?

Claude Ginesta: To the double espresso.

And what things could you do without in your job?

To customers who compare apples with pears and do not show the necessary appreciation for our professional services.

Describe your job in a maximum of three sentences.

Real Estate – values – life. Our claim says it all: “We value, market and manage real estate.”
We provide a comprehensive range of high-quality services.

Have you always aspired to this position?

I grew up in a family of real estate entrepreneurs and listened to my parents’ discussions every evening. Even as a seven-year-old “three-cheese high”, I explained to my parents at the dinner table how to actually run the company and what I would do differently. So yes

Which of your qualities helps you the most in your current position?

Intuition and creativity. Intuition is required for every decision. Creativity is required when new ideas need to be developed, when existing ideas no longer work or the initial situation has changed. These are both qualities that I use on a daily basis and are therefore well trained.

How many people are you in charge of and what is your management style?

We will soon have 60 team members at eight locations. I myself have nine direct reports. Most of them work in management or as divisional managers and are not managed by me in the traditional way, but I am their sparring partner.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to pursue a similar career?

With the background of a family business, you should definitely gain various experiences outside the company. I worked externally for ten years, including for IBM, McKinsey, VZ Vermögens Zentrum and CBRE. I gained valuable experience that gave me important impetus to reposition Ginesta Immobilien despite its almost 80-year history. We are currently ten times the size we were when I joined 21 years ago.

How are gender and diversity issues dealt with in your area?

We have a 70 percent share of women, which is why we are so successful. Furthermore, my “boss”, our Chairwoman of the Board of Directors Corinne Rohner, is a proven specialist in real estate and corporate management. The gender issue is therefore not an issue. Diversity at any price is not on my agenda, because I hire people according to their skills – and it simply has to be a good fit. Diversity is very welcome among employees.

“We have a
proportion of women
of 70 percent,
which is why we are so
successful.”

What are currently the biggest challenges for you and your company?

We are growing very strongly. Last year, we recorded growth of 43 percent. The biggest challenge is to train new team members perfectly and introduce them to our quality standards and values. Accordingly, further growth depends on how quickly we find the right talent.

What impact do current megatrends such as remote working, online meetings and e-learning have on your day-to-day work?

These technical aids and possibilities simplify our everyday lives. However, real estate is immobile, as the name suggests. For this reason, a pure
home office is not possible for our acquisition staff, property managers, valuers or real estate salespeople, for example.

What are your next goals?

For my 50th birthday, I gave myself a learning course at Singularity University in Silicon Valley. The course starts these days and should show me the way
into the future, change my mindset and demonstrate the impact of technology on our society and our future lives. When I come back, we’ll be taking off with Ginesta Immobilien and planning further strong geographical and personnel growth.

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