TUM Community

Learning from each other and with each other

Katrin Kredel has the fondest memories of her time studying at TUM and is full of praise for her university teachers. She enthusiastically attended the lectures of TUM professor Dr. Norbert Huse in History of Art and Architecture, which were more crowded than any other lecture and which she still remembers as being ‘without comparison’. TUM professor and alumni Dr. Rudolf Wienands taught her to see, look and analyse. “I learnt for life while studying Architecture, namely to structure and to plan”, she says. Professor Dr. Otto Meitinger, former president of TUM, showed her how important enthusiasm, good cooperation and fair teamwork are. She signed up for so many of the exciting subjects that they didn’t even all fit on her certificate.

Reaching goals together

Since 1992 Katrin Kredel has been working as a freelance consultant and project manager for large redevelopment projects, construction progress and construction organisation. Not only professionally, but above all emotionally she supports the planners and construction managers, construction workers and tenants, motivates them, inspires them and never tires of insisting on good teamwork, friendliness at the workplace and common goals as a formula for success. “I save buildings and people”, she says with a smile. “I care for disheartened team members and drive all too relaxed project members with the whip. Every day is exciting!”

Networking and establishing contacts

In order to bring together like-minded people from the real estate industry, Katrin Kredel initiated a monthly event as chairwoman of the ‘Women in the Real Estate Industry’ Munich. Not long after that, the number of members of the association in Munich had risen from 2 to 64. In 2004, she launched the now widely copied format of Immoclubbing, through which she connects hundreds of industry members several times a year – from architects to building experts, from lawyers to fund managers – in a new and better way. “It’s about getting to know each other, exchanging ideas and finding teams”, Katrin Kredel says about her events, which run successfully throughout Germany.

Since 2013 Katrin Kredel has been a mentor in the programme TUM Mentoring for Students by Alumni, particularly to international students. “I like to get to know people, I like to hear their stories”, she explains, “but in the beginning I was very unsure about what the young people expected and whether there was anything I could do for them.” The initial uncertainty quickly disappeared, because her young mentees are looking for exactly what Katrin Kredel is so good at: networking and making contacts. She has built up a multicultural and international mentee group, which she has been supporting for years now. “I bring them all together and help them to sort and structure their thoughts”, she describes her strategy. “Like this I am helping the group to help each other.”