Making connections

I started my career in 2006 as a Sales Specialist in Kempen’s real estate team, advising global institutional investors on their allocation to European listed real estate. In 2014, I made the switch to Corporate Finance, focusing on European real estate transactions. And in January 2021, I started my new role – responsible for strategic development, operations and change at Kempen Merchant Banking.

Our ambition is to be a leading player in our core sectors. Our strength lies in our proposition as a whole: the close connection between the various Merchant Banking sector teams and Asset Management teams, our dominant position in our sectors – these resonate well with our clients and give us a platform to succeed. Plus, we listen to client demand and reflect this in the solutions we offer. And, more recently, we’ve been using data analytics to gain interesting insights into our sectors – some of which have ended up being at the heart of transactions.

That’s the business side of things, but I’m also a manager, responsible for looking after my team. I’ll admit it’s a challenge getting to know my new team while everyone is working from home. You have to make that extra effort to actively reach out and stay connected: take a walk with a colleague, drink a coffee outside, be creative. We’ve learned a couple of important lessons: while many people like the flexibility of working from home, when it comes to creative or interactive processes people still really like to meet face-to-face.

Dirk Saltzherr – Managing Director of Strategic Development, Operations and Change, Kempen Merchant Banking