Mr. Becken, Prof. Dr. Michael Becken, before we talk about the future, let's take a look at Becken's history, which reaches far into the present.

DB | That is absolutely right. Because last but not least, the past
is also the foundation for the present and the prerequisite for the
future. More than 43 years of real estate history have shaped me as an
entrepreneur and also my company. The values of our company have been consolidated and developed over the decades and are today obligation enough for us to think of the next generations. With the Board of Directors, I have set another fundamental milestone in the history of my company. So you are absolutely right when you say that the past reaches into the present and into the future.

MB | Before we talk about the Board of Directors, which will ensure the continued existence of the
Becken company far beyond Dieter Becken's tenure
, we may well take a brief look at the
present and recent past of our company. In
recent years we have experienced considerable growth.
In addition to Berlin, we have opened branches in Frankfurt am Main and Munich. The number of our employees has doubled in the meantime and our project pipeline for the future three to five years has been expanded to a good 1.9 billion euros. Among other things, we realise office and residential real estate projects in the cities of Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich and Stuttgart as well as in their surrounding growth regions.

That sounds like considerable growth. How are you meeting this challenge structurally?

DB | By establishing the holding structure in 2006, we created the necessary framework to accommodate any kind of growth. Beneath the strong housetop provided by the holding company, the various business divisions function largely as expert teams that are independent yet networked with each other.

MB | With this holding company, we work like a group and yet are and remain a powerful family business with all its responsibilities. An important structural realignment in 2019 was the aforementioned Board of Directors, which is attached to the holding company. A supervisory and control body of selected family members and external experts in the field of real estate and financing.

So, would it be correct to say that the holding company develops the corporate strategy and vision?

DB | The entire know-how is formed under the umbrella of the holding company. This is where the strategies and visions for the future are actually developed

MB | We are prepared to tackle challenging goals even under our leadership, the leadership of the next generation. For us, it is not just about building more, but about building more intelligently, more sustainably, more resource-efficiently. Teamwork plays an important role in this. No one builds a house alone. In every real estate development, it is important to us that everyone involved in the project identifies with their task and the company, and thus grows together into one big team.

DB | The pressing concerns of our time are housing in urban centres and climate protection. We can only tackle them by working hand in hand. That way we can create spaces to live, work and breathe in – buildings that nurture people.

DB | Evaluate analyses, make decisions, create sustainable real estate values: Real estate expertise is in our DNA.

DB | At Becken, we believe in the world of tomorrow! To help shape tomorrow, we always look beyond our own horizons. We take inspiration and new perspectives as our drive and are always aware of our responsibility.