A leadership transition is approaching at state-owned Berlin TXL Management GmbH. The company's supervisory board appointed Melanie Kunzmann as the new managing director at its meeting in September 2026. She will assume leadership of the company on 1 January 2027, succeeding Frank Wolters, who will step down from the position on 31 December 2026.
Melanie Kunzmann holds a degree in architecture as well as real estate management and brings more than two decades of professional experience to the site of the former Tegel Airport. Most recently, she served as a member of the management board at PD, the public sector consultancy PD - Berater der öffentlichen Hand GmbH, where she was responsible for the construction, infrastructure and municipal advisory division. Her professional focus lies in managing complex public sector development initiatives as well as urban and neighbourhood development.
Long-standing expertise at the interface of administration and the construction industry
During her career, Kunzmann has developed practical models for collaboration with the private sector and steered financing and implementation frameworks for public investments. Before joining PD, the Lower Saxony native advised municipalities, state ministries and public bodies on major infrastructure and construction projects as part of Deka Bank's Public Infrastructure Advisory team and at WestKC.
Kunzmann completed her academic education at Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, where she studied architecture followed by postgraduate studies in construction, real estate and infrastructure management, including periods abroad in Singapore and Vietnam. She also holds certifications in construction and real estate project management and completed a qualification in leadership during change processes at the Management School St. Gallen.
Development of Urban Tech Republic and Schumacher Quartier
Christian Gaebler, Senator for Urban Development, Building and Housing and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Berlin TXL Management GmbH, emphasised that Kunzmann brings proven expertise at the intersections of the public sector, construction industry and urban planning. Given the upcoming milestones in delivering Schumacher Quartier and the Urban Tech Republic, the priority is now to push forward demanding urban development and infrastructure schemes in a coordinated manner. Gaebler expressed his gratitude to outgoing managing director Frank Wolters for the marketing achievements and for establishing the profile of the innovation location.
The managing director designate described the transformation of the former airfield as one of the most remarkable urban development projects in Europe. She noted that bringing together the diverse perspectives of all project partners would be decisive for its success. Taking up her post at the start of 2027, Kunzmann intends to contribute viable delivery concepts to expand the site into a future-proof neighbourhood for research, technology, living and working.
