What’s
ahead?

For Aareon, the year 2022 was marked by changes aimed at making the company fit for the future. Harry Thomsen took over as the new Chairman of the Management Board. The new Board function of People & Culture was created and Dr Ernesto Marinelli appointed as Chief People Officer (CPO). The Market Division was reorganised under the leadership of Rumyana Trencheva, CRO, with an increased focus on revenue. In January 2023, Dr André Rasquin, CTO, was given additional responsibility for the areas of Technology and Product Development. In the following short interviews, the four members of the Management Board explain what these changes mean for our customers, business partners and employees.

Three questions for …

Harry Thomsen Chief Executive Officer

Photo: Angelika Stehle, Wiesbaden

1. You have been CEO of Aareon AG for a year now. How have these last twelve months been for you?

It has been an exciting, moving and challenging year. I immersed myself in the housing and property industry, and had many insightful discussions with our clients and business partners. For me, this exchange is indispensable, as it is the only way we at Aareon can continue to develop our range of products and services in line with demand.

2. What is your vision for the strategic development of the Aareon Group? What course have you set for 2022 to achieve it?

The goal is clear: we want to develop Aareon into a sustainable Rule-of-40 SaaS company. Over the past year, I have learned an enormous amount about setting the right course for the future. Together with motivated employees and our customers and business partners, we are opening a new chapter in the company’s history. We have strengthened the focus of our entire organisation on the needs of our customers and markets, so that we can serve them even better than before.

3. What goals are at the top of your to-do list?

Top of the list are our customers and employees. We are concentrating on aligning the product landscape even more strongly to the future needs of our customers, and as a result on continuously improving product quality. In this context, our national subsidiaries must be able to react quickly and flexibly to the needs of our clients at all times. We have therefore introduced a new structure that gives our local markets greater responsibility. In addition to this, our employees play a central role in the success of the company. Supporting their mental well-being – a key factor for a resilient organisation – is also high on our agenda, for example.

Rumyana Trencheva Chief Revenue Officer

Photo: Angelika Stehle, Wiesbaden

1. As the new Chief Revenue Officer, you have realigned your department. What is the biggest change?

Customer orientation is key. As the housing and property sector and the respective regulations differ from country to country, we have decided to focus our product development and portfolio more strongly on the needs of each individual country to offer them localised end-to-end solutions.

2. You are also responsible for the Partner Ecosystem. What does that involve?

Opening up our digital ecosystem will make Aareon a future-ready platform company that facilitates the use of innovative software solutions throughout the European property industry. The technological basis for this partner programme is the low-code integration platform of Locoia GmbH, which we have just acquired. Building on this, we aim to successively expand the portfolio of solutions and services for our ERP systems.

3. How will customers and business partners, and Aareon itself, benefit from opening up your digital ecosystem to others?

This step will lead to a mutual system of cooperation and value creation. An expanded range of solutions will make it easier for our clients to achieve their business goals while at the same time providing business partners with easier access to the market. This new approach increases the potential for exponential growth in the housing sector. Our investments in no-code-/low-code tools allow innovative enhancements to existing partner solutions, improving user-friendliness and optimising data leverage for our customers.

Dr Ernesto Marinelli Chief People Officer

Photo: Angelika Stehle, Wiesbaden

1. The position of Chief People Officer (CPO) was created in 2022. What priorities have you set for this executive position?

Our business is a people business. It is people who, with their commitment and enthusiasm, ensure that our business model is successful and adds value for our customers. We therefore place great importance on creating an inclusive, motivating and inspiring working environment where all employees can work together with passion and curiosity, and achieve personal growth. And this is best achieved in a transparent, resilient organisation based on trust and mutual support, so that each person can develop freely without restraints.

2. Due to the serious shortage of skilled workers, companies are constantly seeking qualified employees: what makes Aareon an attractive employer?

We work in an exciting industry where our innovations can make a big difference and thus help our customers to be more successful. This creates attractive jobs and tasks. As well as this, the team spirit and collegiality among the employees is remarkable. When I joined Aareon in July, I immediately felt at home: there is a trusting and appreciative atmosphere here, which makes work all the more enjoyable. As well as this, flexible and hybrid working models were in place at Aareon long before the Covid-19 pandemic. We want to promote diversity, equity and inclusion at Aareon, which is why we appointed our first Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer on 1 February this year. After all, only an employer that embraces and involves all its employees is innovative, and consequently also more attractive for everyone.

3. You are particularly passionate about the topic of resilience. For what reason?

It has become clear, particularly in recent years, how quickly our world can change, and that resilience is of central importance, not only for us as individuals, but also for organisations, so that we can deal with challenges and changes in the best way possible. Here at Aareon, we support resilience, for example, through health campaigns. This includes our “MIND your health” campaign, which offers practical tips for a balanced life. As part of this campaign, Aareon held its first Mental Health Day in January 2023, a day that gives all our employees the opportunity to focus on their mental health.

Dr André Rasquin Chief Technology Officer

Photo: Stefan Freund, Frankfurt

1. Aareon is on its way to exclusively becoming a SaaS provider. The majority of Aareon customers already use Software as a Service. What are its main advantages?

Our clients only need to use the software – we take care of the rest. No initial investment is required, the payment model is similar to a subscription. Software is automatically updated in the cloud, so everyone always has the latest version. Additional IT solutions can be booked as required to gradually build up a company-specific digital ecosystem.

2. How does Aareon deal with data protection and data security?

Hacker attacks and data theft pose a threat to companies of all sizes. Increasingly sophisticated attack methods require continuous high investments in the company’s IT security system – in terms of time, expertise and personnel. With a cloud solution from a professional IT service provider such as Aareon, our clients are on the safe side. We operate multi-certified data centres at two redundant locations in Germany. This enables us to meet the highest requirements for reliability and data protection in compliance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPS). Our network is protected on several security levels that reliably recognise and report suspicious activities.

3. What opportunities do new technologies present for Aareon’s SaaS customers?

Our new SaaS-enabled ERP generations are opening up new technologies to our clients, such as artificial intelligence and business intelligence. These technologies can access a large, anonymised database via the cloud from which they can continuously learn and consequently improve processes and make more accurate forecasts for the future. This provides our customers with valuable support in making informed business decisions for the sustainable success of their companies.

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What does the future hold for Aareon? Members of the Management Board talk to us in short interviews about what lies ahead for the company.

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