An interview with
Andreas Onkelbach, Head of Private Banking Donner & Reuschel
A new office for Donner & Reuschel in a prime location: The new location in the Satellite Office on Königsallee in Düsseldorf is made for the bank, which thinks ahead and strategically implements the topic of New Work: This quickly becomes clear in a conversation with Andreas Onkelbach, Head of Private Banking at Donner & Reuschel: “Traditionally, banks work strongly location-based. That is not our philosophy. We are wherever the customer wants us to be,” explains Andreas Onkelbach.
“In consequence, this means for us that we have to be maximally flexible. Whether digital or in person, we accommodate the customer’s wishes with state-of-the-art technology and personal visits to his home or business.
If he prefers to meet in our offices in Hamburg, Munich, Frankfurt or Düsseldorf, we’re happy to talk to him in person here, too.” This is where Satellite Office helps us enormously: the concept offers us the perfect infrastructure and maximum flexibility in terms of space utilization, so we can scale our business model. If we start today in Düsseldorf with 14 people, we know that we will be able to use more workstations if the 14 times become 40,” says Andreas Onkelbach.
“Nothing is left to chance, everything is professionally planned through.”
The partnership with Satellite Office has grown steadily: the bank has jointly opened a workspace for innovative companies at Satellite Office in Hamburg. At its new location in Düsseldorf, Donner & Reuschel intends to open up North Rhine-Westphalia. As a native of Düsseldorf, Andreas Onkelbach is already fully enthusiastic: “Düsseldorf is ideal because the city and its people are exciting in themselves. In addition, it’s a huge metropolitan area, which makes the location incredibly attractive.” But it’s not just the city that excites him, but also his new office in the historic Girardet House: “You walk in, are greeted personally by name, and feel at home. Nothing is left to chance, everything is done highly professionally. The people who work here are focused on their guests to the maximum, which is very special.”
The Satellite Office concept fits in with the strategy of the private bank, which sees “modern, sophisticated spaces as a meeting place” – and does so in the interests of its clients and its team: The workplaces that the bank rents in Düsseldorf can in principle be used by any:r employee of Donner & Reuschel. This not only has advantages in terms of flexibility, but also in terms of fixed costs: “Overall, we have to keep fewer workstations available, after all, people also take vacations or are with customers from time to time. Otherwise, we would have offices that would be empty 2/3 of the time.” But this not only saves the bank rental costs: “Satellite Office offers us the perfect infrastructure – when we plan an event, the Satellite Office team helps us organize it and supports us with professional, well-trained staff,” says the banker. “I am very impressed with the great team here in Düsseldorf!”
Pioneer in the topic of New Work
Under Marcus Vitt, the Management Board of DONNER & REUSCHEL attaches great importance to the topic of New Work in the sense of a comprehensive sustainable strategy.
For this reason, the management strategy is also constantly evolving: external workplaces, flexible work locations and hours, etc. – at the bank, it is primarily customers and employees who decide where and how they work. But the new reality must be managed. “If you only work in a home office or workspace structures, you see each other less often. Communication is just as important as ergonomics and regular exercise. New Work also means recognizing and enabling needs – in the “war for talent,” every company needs correspondingly good offerings.
In Satellite Office, the bank has found the perfect sparring partner: Anita Gödiker, CEO of Satellite, is also a pioneer of the topic and implements it at all levels. This is reflected in the design of Satellite Office’s locations, where relaxed break-out areas and, above all, quiet and sufficient space play a central role. Speaking of relaxation: To enjoy and unwind after work, Andreas Onkelbach incidentally recommends Carlsplatz in Düsseldorf, on the edge of the old town. “Nice little restaurants of every stripe can be found here!”
