Catella has expanded its German operations to include debt advisory services.

Catella is aiming to deliver debt and equity as well as valuation services on all markets, in addition to the transaction advisory offered in all countries today.

“During 2012, we began the strategic work on harmonising our service offering in all countries. Germany is an important European market, and also one on which we perceive growth potential for Catella. Thus, it is natural that one of the first investments is being made precisely in Germany. We are extremely pleased to have recruited Simone Schmidt, with her cutting-edge expertise and broad experience from the financing area, to lead the work,” says Anders Palmgren, head of corporate finance.

Simone Schmidt has been recruited to start up and lead the German financing advisory services unit. She hails most recently from Ersten Abwicklungsanstal (EAA), the property liquidation unit of the German bank WestLB, and before that worked at Morgan Stanley, The Royal Bank of Scotland and Deutsche Bank. Schmidt possesses broad experience within structured finance from transactions carried out in Germany and the rest of Europe.

“In today's market, the skill in linking together commercial property sectors with financing solutions constitutes a success factor for transaction advisors. At Catella, I will contribute my long experience within financing and, together with Catella’s energetic team, we will be able to create offers which suit our clients’ needs,” says Schmidt.

Catellas real estate advisory includes three main service areas: sales and acquisitions, debt and equity, and research and valuation. The operations are established in 11 European countries and comprise just over 200 employees.