In seventh heaven

The DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel & Conference Centre Warsaw, which hosted 830 representatives of the real estate market in Poland, buzzed on that frosty December evening.

At this year’s Eurobuild Awards, statuettes were handed out in 30 categories. Most of the winners – 25 – were chosen by the jury of 158 leading representatives of the commercial real estate. The Investment Deal of the Year in Central and Eastern Europe was the acquisition of the more than 75 pct stake in the newly-established Echo Polska Properties by Redefine Properties. For the second time in a row, the Investor of the Year in the region was Griffin Real Estate. The Warehouse Developer of the Year in Central and Eastern Europe was Prologis and Bank Zachodni WBK won the Financing Provider of the Year category.

However, the majority of the prizes were awarded for achievements on the Polish real estate market. The Office Developer of the Year in Poland was Ghelamco and Echo Investment won the Retail Developer of the Year category. And none of these new projects could have been developed without construction companies. Skanska was considered to be the best of these in 2016.

Four trophies were awarded to the best new buildings. The best new Office Building of the Year in Poland was Q22 in Warsaw, while the best New Shopping Centre of the Year was Zielone Arkady in Bydgoszcz. The award for the New Warehouse of the Year in Poland went to Mars Chocolate in Sochaczew and the best New Hotel of the Year in Poland was the DoubleTree by Hilton Wrocław.

The jury also honoured a number of consultancies. CBRE won the Office Agency Team of the Year in Poland category. But it was JLL that scooped the awards taking seven statuettes for: Retail Agency Team of the Year in Poland, Warehouse Agency Team of the Year, Investment Agency Team of the Year and the Property Management Company of the Year. In addition to this, JLL’s specialists jointly received tenants’ awards for being the best office property managers – for Rondo 1, Zebra Tower and Lipiński Passage (all in Warsaw). JLL’s charity event – the Commercial Real Estate Beach Volleyball Tournament – was judged to be the Outstanding Non-Business Achievement of the Year in a ballot held during the gala of the guests present. Two other prizes decided by the public went to Deloitte, which was selected as the Office Tenant of the Year, and to Łódź, as the city’s mayor Hanna Zdanowska was chosen as the Personality of the Year.

Returning to the jury awards – the Law Office of the Year in Poland was Dentons, the Building Consultancy of the Year was Gleeds Polska, PwC was voted Tax and Financial Consultancy of the Year, the Green Services Provider of the Year was Sweco Consulting, the Facility Management Company of the Year was General Property, while Łódź was chosen the Most Investor-Friendly City of the Year.

With the encouragement of TV celebrity Szymon Majewski, the ambassador of the Iskierka foundation, more than PLN 40,000 was collected for seriously ill children. Among the fund-raising events was an auction, for such items as a six-litre Amour de Deutz champagne donated by the company of Robert Mielżyński, who acted as the auctioneer together with Szymon Majewski. GTC was the generous benefactor this year, buying the bottle for PLN 32,000. More than PLN 9,000 was also raised in the lottery.

The Iskierka foundation is planning to use the funds to buy a Macerator Solo device for the disposal of all types of waste materials. The equipment, worth PLN 23,580, will be donated to the oncology ward of the Stanisław Szyszko Independent Public Research and Teaching Hospital of the Silesian Medical University in Katowice. The foundation also has plans to organise a sailing camp for a group of its charges in Masuria as part of its Summer Campaign, which will involve the chartering of four boats and accommodation under the deck (at a cost of app. PLN 50,000). We would like to sincerely thank all the people who have generously contributed to this wonderful cause.

Ewa Andrzejewska, the editor-in-chief of ‘Eurobuild CEE’ magazine, who hosted the gala, was simply radiant onstage, and was accompanied by famous journalist and TV presenter Piotr Kraśko. But what do the winners think of the Eurobuild Awards 2016? Now it’s time to hear from them…

New Office Building of the Year, Poland

Q22

Rafał Mazurczak

management board member, Echo Investment

For us the last year was…

a time full of record-breaking results, important changes and historic moments. We have a new CEO, Nicklas Lindberg; we have implemented a new strategy; and we have registered record-breaking results in virtually all segments of our operations. 2016 was also Q22’s year. We completed the implementation of this, our flagship project, which was almost fully-leased when sold to an international investor, and won the most important awards in the sector prior to its sale.

If we had not won at the Eurobuild Awards this year, then…

I would have thought the computer had malfunctioned when it was processing the votes of the jury.

If I had three New Year wishes for my company, I’d wish for…

more spectacular projects like Q22; for the excellent atmosphere in the market to continue; and for all the dreams of our employees to come true.

New Shopping Centre of the Year, Poland

Zielone Arkady

Leszek Sikora

managing director, ECE Projektmanagement Polska

For us the last year was...

a time of new opportunities and new challenges. I wish we could face every challenge with as much motivation and optimism as we did last year, and I’d like the Polish market to remain the source of new ideas for ECE and a place where these ideas can be implemented.

If we had not won at the Eurobuild Awards this year, then…

well, we would have felt it was high time to for others to have the chance to win, anyway. Fortunately, this is only hypothetical...

If I had three New Year wishes for my company, I’d wish for…

twenty more years for ECE in Poland, with satisfied tenants, wealthy clients and an extra day between Saturday and Sunday.

New Hotel of the Year, Poland

DoubleTree by Hilton Wrocław

Matthias Herd

general manager, DoubleTree by Hilton Wroclaw

For us the last year was…

an exciting milestone as we opened this great hotel in the heart of an amazing city, thus contributing to the infrastructure of the city with a fresh new level of hospitality and increasing the international interest in the destination

If we hadn’t won anything at the Eurobuild Awards this year, then …

it would not have been such a great and rewarding night at the Doubletree by Hilton Warsaw.

If I had three New Year wishes for my company, I’d wish for...

continued growth in popularity and demand for Wroclaw; that the people of Wroclaw will be proud of having the Doubletree in their community; and that the Doubletree team keeps up its strength, endurance and patience to achieve the first two wishes.

Office Agency Team of the Year, Poland

CBRE

Łukasz Kałędkiewicz

senior director, advisory and transactions, CBRE

For us the last year was...

very hectic, fruitful and even record-breaking for us. Our clients, who continue to put their trust in us, have been very active in virtually all the markets we service, and that’s why it’s been an exhausting year, but in a positive sense!

If we had not won at the Eurobuild Awards this year, then…

we would congratulate the winners and then, knowing how attached we are to what we do and how we do this at CBRE, we would sit down even before the end of the Gala, start to analyse the situation and draw up next year’s strategy.

If I had three New Year wishes for my company, I’d wish for…

intense activity from tenants and business investors; keeping the current team spirit in the company; and friendly cooperation in an atmosphere of healthy competition with the other agencies.

Retail Agency Team of the Year, Poland

JLL

Anna Wysocka

national director, head of retail agency, JLL

For us the last year was...

very hectic and full of challenges. The challenges we had to face in 2016 were the strong competition on the commercial market and the current legislative uncertainty.

If we had not won at the Eurobuild Awards this year, then…

we would be working as hard as we are now to win this highly prestigious honour next year. Obviously, having won at this year’s awards, we have no intention of resting on our laurels; on the contrary, we will do our best to make our clients even happier with their cooperation with JLL’s advisors.

If I had three New Year wishes for my company, I’d wish for…

more famous international brands to enter the Polish market. Poland is sustaining the interest of foreign retail chains, but our domestic shopping centres still lack at least some of the most well-known international brands. Secondly, I’d wish for more stability and predictability in terms of the legislative issues related to the retail market in Poland. And the last wish I’m going to keep for myself.

Warehouse Agency Team of the Year, Poland

JLL

Tomasz Olszewski

head of CEE industrial, JLL

For us the last year was…

even more hectic than previous years, even though we have been working very hard for a long time.

If we had not won at the Eurobuild Awards this year, then…

we would still be actively operating on the market, providing our clients with services of the highest quality.

If I had three New Year wishes for my company, I’d wish for…

this year’s streak of good luck to continue, with as many leasing contracts for large areas as possible signed with the help of JLL’s consultants. And for economic growth – the warehouse business is the first in the commercial property business sector to respond to changes in the international economic situation.

Law Firm of the Year, Poland

Dentons

Piotr Szafarz partner, head of Poland real estate, Dentons

Monika Sitowicz

partner, Dentons

For us the last year was…

interesting and different for us – full of challenges and surprises, the majority of which, in terms of recent “reforms” to the legal system, should be completed in 2017.

If we had not won at the Eurobuild Awards this year, then…

we would have been surprised. But… we would put even more effort into winning the award next year.

If I had three New Year wishes for my company, I’d wish for…

a number of bills currently before parliament to be withdrawn; a number of bills currently before parliament to be withdrawn; and, a number of bills currently before parliament to be withdrawn.

Tax & financial consultancy of the Year, Poland

PwC

Sławomir Krempa

partner, PwC

For us the last year was…

very dynamic, interesting, full of surprises, with the suspense building to almost Hitchcockian proportions.

If we had not won at the Eurobuild Awards this year, then…

we would have been unhappy, but even more motivated to win the award next year.

If I had three New Year wishes for my company, I’d wish for…

keeping our fantastic team together; greater stability and predictability in the area of law and the work of administrative bodies; more willingness to seek consensus in business and political and human conflicts.

Building Consultancy of the Year, Poland

Gleeds Polska

Tadeusz Jachowicz

CEE regional director, Gleeds Europe Holding; director, Gleeds Polska

For us the last year was…

another year of intensive development. We have been gradually expanding the number of our employees to more than 100 in terms of qualified specialists. We have been working on more than 200 interesting projects, resulting in an impressive increase in the company’s turnover. We have expanded our presence in the northern Poland region, opening an office in Gdańsk, and now we are planning further offices in Szczecin and Koszalin. Moreover, we are constantly working on extending our business activities into Eastern Europe, in Ukraine and Belarus. We have improved the quality of our services by implementing the latest ISO procedures, modernising our existing network of offices and moving our premises in Kraków and Katowice to these new improved locations. Our headquarters in Warsaw have been prepared in line with sustainable development requirements, which has just been confirmed by obtaining a LEED CI ‘Gold’ certificate.

If we had not won at the Eurobuild Awards this year, it would…

motivate us to put even more effort into improving our knowledge and experience, and into the further implementation of quality management procedures and systems to meet the requirements of local and international real estate markets and – above all – those of the clients.

If I had three New Year wishes for my company, I’d wish for...

first of all, for many interesting, surprising and ambitious projects that bring not only financial gain but also the opportunity to further the company’s development in the field of service provision – and that bring satisfaction and the continued trust of our clients. Secondly, for stable market forecasts. And, last but not least, for continuing as a well-integrated team of professionals who see their company as the best place to work.

Facility Management Company of the Year, Poland

General Property

Tomasz Buczyński

deputy CEO, General Property

For us the last year was...

very hectic and exceptional for us. We have new headquarters. We broke our record for facility management services contracts. We have new, highly prestigious projects in our portfolio. And now we have a Eurobuild Award as the culmination of all this! We owe this to our colleagues on the team, we really appreciate their dedication and we are aware of how much effort they have put into getting our company to where it is now.

If we had not won at the Eurobuild Awards this year, then…

the spirit to fight for such a prestigious award as Eurobuild Awards in our team would probably give us even greater determination to build on General Property’s market position. However, we are aware that this accolade is an obligation for us to try even harder in 2017. And to use a sporting analogy to illustrate our fighting spirit, every champion knows that it’s very hard to win a title, but it is even harder to defend it.

If I had three New Year wishes for my company, I’d wish for…

another Eurobuild Award in 2017 and in the years that follow… And, as we said during the Eurobuild Awards Gala, this is a great success for our company and one we would like to repeat in the future. I’d like to emphasise that GP is a company fully-owned by Polish people and we have been competing in a market dominated by Western companies who have a much longer history of facility management, since the beginning of the FM business here. Those companies shaped the development of the FM services sector right from the start and have been largely responsible for the growing awareness of such market players, and we feel honoured to be counted among the ranks of these FM market builders in Poland. We wish for more years of steady growth and that our dreams and hard work give added strength to the General Property team! And, as a last request, on behalf of the whole facility management business and our company too – may we look forward rather than backwards next year. May we cooperate more than work on our own. May all the market players understand that it is quality and standards that are the key to success, not the lowest price. And, finally, may the industry organisations start implementing their statutory objectives and – following the example of other industries – introduce standards and certificates that will eradicate all quality deficiencies in FM and start working towards even greater awareness and understanding between service providers and their clients.

Property Management Company of the Year, Poland

JLL

Virginie de Baere

head of property management, JLL

Łukasz Mazurczak

director of office operations, property management, JLL

For us the last year was…

very good. We have added to the portfolio of managed buildings such famous offices as Warsaw Spire, Gdański Business Center C & D and West Station, among others. We have also introduced modern tools, for example, for omnichannel marketing in Forum Gliwice and implemented several projects in the area of prime asset services and sustainability for our clients.

If we had not won at the Eurobuild Awards this year, then…

we would still be working at full capacity to provide our clients with the highest standard of services possible. We are delighted to have received these Eurobuild Awards and this motivates us to put even more effort into our work.

If I had three New Year wishes for my company, I’d wish for…

even more clients satisfied with JLL’s services and a very good and effective relationship with tenants in the buildings we manage; holding onto our leading position in the property management market in Poland; and putting even more focus on providing the highest standard of services.

Green Services Provider of the Year, Poland

Sweco

Marcin Gawroński

head of the BREEAM/LEED team, Sweco Consulting

For us the last year was...

full of new challenges and opportunities for development. Sweco has won and will be implementing a huge anti-flood system project for the Odra basin. We have developed new specialist green, construction and power engineering services. We have completed our work on a PPP project in the road sector as the advisor of a public partner.

If we had not won at the Eurobuild Awards this year, then…

we would have had to reminisce about the joy we felt in 2015, when we also won a Eurobuild Award. I think it would motivate us to work even harder, to become more successful in the future.

If I had three New Year wishes for my company, I’d wish for…

even more interesting and prestigious projects than those we are currently delighted to be working on; for clients who are as open, determined and friendly as ever; and for a Eurobuild Award in 2017, maybe in another category.

Real Estate Construction Company of the Year, Poland

Skanska

Arkadiusz Rudzki

managing director, Skanska Property Poland

For us the last year was...

extremely successful, but also a time of reflection for the entire Skanska Group. We started some new large projects in the office sector in Warsaw and Kraków, and we have completed projects in some other cities. We have also extended our bank of the best land in city centres, which we have plans for in the foreseeable future. We also strongly support our colleagues in our contracting company, who richly deserved the award. The projects we are implementing jointly under Skanska’s name demonstrate the high quality and innovative thinking that goes into our work. I am keeping my fingers crossed for Skanska’s construction group and the whole industry. May they deal successfully with business challenges and get off to a good start in the New Year.

If we had not won at the Eurobuild Awards this year, then…

we would win them in future years! Every award, as well as the lack of them, motivates us to try even harder. This year’s award is not only the culmination of our activities as an innovative company, but is also a benchmark for the highest security standards in the market. We are building a value-based business – something the market appreciates and will always appreciate, because this strategy is our striking feature, regardless of the economic situation in the construction and development market.

If I had three New Year wishes for my company, I’d wish for…

ten more wishes. I’d ask for a stable situation on the construction market and for us to stick to our chosen path of building projects based on the values we believe in. I would grant the last wish to the entire Skanska team with pleasure.

Investment Agency Team of the Year, Poland

JLL

Tomasz Puch

head of office and industrial investment, JLL

Agata Sekuła

head of CEE retail investment, JLL

For us the last year was…

very intensive, but, at the same time, very successful for us. We have advised for the biggest market transactions – for example, during the sale of the 75 pct stake in Echo’s EUR 1.2 bln property platform, among others. This was the biggest transaction in the history of the Polish market.

If we had not won at the Eurobuild Awards this year, then…

we would continue our work, making sure our clients receive the best service possible. We are delighted to have won the Investment Agency Team of the Year award. We feel honoured and it is also a signal for us that our clients appreciate our contribution, dedication and knowledge of the market. We really appreciate their belief in us. It is a huge incentive for us to continue our work.

If I had three New Year wishes for my company, I’d wish for…

many successful and efficiently executed transactions; stability in terms of economic and investment issues; and that the best experts remain in the market.

New Warehouse of the Year, Poland

Mars Chocolate Europe & Eurasia

Marek Smoliński

senior project engineer, Mars Chocolate Europe & Eurasia

For us the last year was...

another successful year in business for us.

If we had not won at the Eurobuild Awards this year, then…

I’m convinced we would enter the competition with another interesting project next year.

If I had three New Year wishes for my company, I’d wish for…

our products to make people happy and put a smile to the faces of millions of consumers; and for dogs to enjoy our food and wag their tails with joy.

Office Developer of the Year, Poland

Ghelamco

Jeroen van der Toolen

managing director, Ghelamco CEE

For us the last year was...

very important. We opened the Warsaw Spire in May. This is our most important office project so far, which has given the city a new business centre. But the most important thing is that we have provided local residents with access to a wonderful public square. We are glad that Varsovians have taken to pl. Europejski so quickly.

If we had not won at the Eurobuild Awards this year, then…

it’s nice to win an award, but the source of greatest satisfaction for us is making our tenants and the local community happy by giving them the opportunity to benefit from our projects.

If I had three New Year wishes for my company, I’d wish for…

wealth, health and prosperity for all the employees of Ghelamco. Secondly, I’d wish for Ghelamco to remain an innovative trend-setter. And thirdly, I’d like Ghelamco to create user-friendly projects, both for the tenants and the local community.

Retail Developer of the Year, Poland

Echo Investment

Marcin Materny

management board member, director of shopping centre department, Echo Investment

For us the last year was...

very interesting, hectic, but also special to us. Mainly because of the launch of Galeria Libero in Katowice, a centre that stands out not only with its functionality, but also with its range and comfort. This is the first project where almost 35 pct of the space has been reserved for entertainment, sports and recreation.

If we had not won at the Eurobuild Awards this year, then…

no one would have believed it, because Echo has had an exceptionally successful year. We have been very active in the retail segment, not only in terms of projects, but we have also acquired, together with Echo Polska Properties, the biggest commercial property in the centre of Warsaw: Towarowa 22.

If I had three New Year wishes for my company, I’d wish for…

another good year for our three basic market segments – commercial, office and residential. I’m convinced that in 2017 we will also be successful and break even more records, which in turn will translate into impressive financial results and other awards.

Most Investor-Friendly City

Łódź

Adam Pustelnik

acting director, Łódź Investor Service Bureau

For us the last year was…

one of the best in our post-transformation history. The number of projects and their scale show that both trends and the perception of Łódź have changed. The opening of the main railway station and the ring road have brought us even closer to Warsaw, almost creating a single metropolitan area for the two cities. This opens up completely different economic horizons.

If we had not won at the Eurobuild Awards this year, then…

we wouldn’t be nearly as satisfied as we are now, as the new year begins. The awards mean a lot to us and are crucial for the very positive processes that have recently taken place in Łódź. Besides, if it wasn’t for the awards, our image wouldn’t be so good.

If I had three New Year wishes for my company, I’d wish for…

an unlimited budget for salaries and bonuses for my team; I’d wish for Brazil, Argentina and the USA to run out of steam in the competition to host EXPO, which would mean Łódź would host it in 2022; I’d wish for us to be at least as lucky as we’ve been recently – and I’d wish for the city’s lost decades to become history and anecdotes, and just one long gone, closed period.

The Real Estate Personality of the Year

Hanna Zdanowska

Hanna Zdanowska

the mayor of Łódź

For us the last year was…

a time of changes, challenges and intensive work, but we also feel satisfied that we were able to keep our promises and complete many of the projects that are important for the citizens of Łódź.

If we had not won at the Eurobuild Awards this year, then…

we would have congratulated the winners and kept our fingers crossed for Łódź in the next competition.

If I had three New Year wishes for my company, I’d wish for…

strength, peace and health for myself and all of Łódź’s citizens.

Office Tenant of the Year

Deloitte

Tomasz Kacprzak

finance director, Q22 project team member, Deloitte

For us the last year was...

another year of growth. It is important that together with an increase in employment and revenue we also have been changing our company to provide an increasingly wider scope of services and offering better working conditions to our employees. One important element of the changes that have taken place in the company is moving to a modern, ergonomic office that meets all our expectations and challenges.

If we had not won at the Eurobuild Awards this year...

that was probably always unlikely to happen. You are invited to come and see our office for yourself.

If I had three New Year wishes for my company, I’d wish for...

we don’t wait for miracles to happen, but we certainly count on some luck, because as in any field it’s also useful in business. And as far as the other two wishes are concerned, we would wish good health and prosperity to everyone and that we will certainly cope with the rest of the goals and tasks we have set for ourselves.

OUTSTANDING NON-BUSINESS ACHIEVEMENT OF THE YEAR, POLAND

Record breaking 7th Charity Real Estate Beach Volleyball Tournament

Tomasz Trzósło

managing director, JLL Poland

The last year has been...

hectic, busy and full of challenges, but also full of satisfaction. We have expanded our consulting business, but our centre of excellence, which provides advanced services to clients and other JLL departments in the EMEA region, has also grown.

If we hadn’t won any of the Eurobuild Awards this year...

well, we won as many as seven statuettes, which I’m very proud of. So we are fortunate enough not to have to wonder what if. Eurobuild Awards are an important honour for us to receive from the sector and excellent motivation for further hard work – on improving and developing our services. We are happy about receiving both the Eurobuild jury awards – for our experts in the fields of retail and warehouses, management and the investment market – as well as the awards decided by the tenants and guests at the gala, who chose the Commercial Real Estate Beach Volleyball Tournament as the most spectacular non-business achievement of 2016.

If I had three New Year wishes for my company, I’d wish for:

many transactions and projects; a lot of very satisfied clients, who are so pleased they ask if they can pay us even more; and a few more Eurobuild awards at next year’s gala.

Financing Provider of the Year, CEE

Bank Zachodni WBK

Brendan Long

head of corporate property finance, Bank Zachodni WBK

For us the last year was…

exceedingly successful for us and our many valued business partners. Together we financed over EUR 1.3 bln in top quality property transactions on the Polish market. Many of these were unique in terms of profile and scale. We have proved that we can excel in analysing a project’s potential and are eager to engage in non-standard transactions. We will continue our activity across all market segments and finance the top projects on the market. 2017 should be as interesting and as fruitful as last year.

If we had not won at the Eurobuild Awards this year, then…

simply, we would have been delighted to celebrate with our business partners who have enjoyed success across all the award categories. And obviously we would have set a clear goal to achieve such business results and to perform in such way to also win recognition in 2017.

If I had three New Year wishes for my company, I’d wish for...

as far as business is concerned I strongly believe that for us and for our partners 2017 will be a good year. We are all focused on results and have clear strategies here. So my wishes are health, happiness and a positive attitude in their personal lives for all members of the BZ WBK team and for all our partners.

Investor of the Year, CEE

Griffin Real Estate

Maciej Dyjas

co-managing partner and co-CEO, Griffin Real Estate

For us the last year was...

very successful. We have achieved our set objectives and more besides. We have increased the number of our investors, we have significantly expanded our portfolio of managed assets, and we are developing our platforms according to the schedule: the management platform for student halls, apartments for rent and financing property investment for other businesses. Last but not least, we have managed to create another and one of the biggest players on the Polish property market, i.e. Echo Polska Properties. And Echo Investment, which we took over with our partners in 2015, is growing dynamically. Yes, it’s been a good year.

If we had not won at the Eurobuild Awards this year, then…

we would make more effort to win the competition next year.

If I had three New Year wishes for my company, I’d wish for…

peace and quiet, and some common sense for politicians. Business likes clear and sensible rules of the game and predictable conditions, so I guess business will take care of itself.

Warehouse Developer of the Year, CEE

Prologis

Martin Polak

senior vice-president and regional head, Prologis Central and Eastern Europe

For us the last year was...

very positive. We started 18 development projects totalling 331,000 sqm in core CEE locations, including eight speculative facilities. Every new building was submitted for BREEAM accreditation. We achieved 95 pct occupancy and a tenant retention rate of more than 80 pct. It’s clear that our clients appreciate our passion for, and knowledge of, industrial real estate. There’s not much more we could wish for!

If we had not won at the Eurobuild Awards this year, then…

we would continue implementing our strategy, as it has proved to be very successful. Just look at our results in the last year!

If I had three New Year wishes for my company, I’d wish for…

increased market transparency; ongoing success for our clients; and happy smiling colleagues continuing to enjoy their work.

Investment Deal of the Year, CEE

Acquisition by Redefine Properties of over 75 pct of Echo Polska Properties

Przemysław Krych

founder and CEO, Griffin Real Estate

For us the last year was...

very hectic. We have completed a very special investment for us – Hala Koszyki, which has instantly become a unique location on the culinary map of Warsaw. We have attracted a new investor –South-African REIT Redefine Properties. We have set up Echo Polska Properties – the first Polish REIT company, which was then successfully listed on the Luxembourg and Johannesburg stock exchanges. And we have intensified our work on other platforms: Student Depot and Resi4Rent. All of this means that our assets have grown, from EUR 3 bln at the end of the previous year to EUR 4.5 bln now – and we are maintaining our momentum.

If we had not won at the Eurobuild Awards this year, then…

on the one hand, we would have been very disappointed. On the other, it would have meant that we were bound to win the prize the following year.

If I had three New Year wishes for my company, I’d wish for…

I wouldn’t ask for anything. I believe that instead of waiting for a miracle, you should make your dreams come true yourself.