Retail real estate specialist MEC is restructuring its operational setup. As of 1 January 2027, the company will bundle key responsibilities under unified leadership in order to lay the organisational foundations for its continued growth trajectory. In future, centre management, technical management, location marketing and mall commercialisation will be managed within a shared operational unit.
Overall responsibility for this newly configured division will be assumed by Dirk Otto as Head of Center Operations. Otto currently heads the East region in the company's centre management division. The aim of the restructuring is to deploy operational expertise across individual sites more effectively, streamline decision-making processes, and selectively expand the range of services offered to property owners and tenants.
Regional division and independent technical management
The future organisation combines overarching governance with clear operational responsibilities in day-to-day business. Centre management will be led via two regional team leads, responsible respectively for the north and south of Germany. In parallel, technical management will receive its own team lead in order to develop the business potential in this segment in a focused manner. Location marketing and mall commercialisation will also report directly to the Head of Center Operations.
- —Consolidation of centre management, technical management, location marketing and mall commercialisation under single leadership
- —Division of operational centre management leadership into two regional responsibilities for northern and southern Germany
- —Establishment of a dedicated team lead for technical management to unlock additional business potential
- —Systematic transfer of site-specific operational insights across the entire portfolio of managed retail properties
The closer coordination is intended to ensure that operational, structural, technical and marketing-related matters are aligned at an early stage. Christian Schröder, Managing Director of MEC, stated that the company intended to continue its growth trajectory and further develop its offering for owners and retailers. To this end, a structure was required that bundles professional expertise and makes tried-and-tested solutions usable across locations. With Dirk Otto, an executive who knows clients, sites and processes from years of hands-on experience is taking up the role.
Focus on economic viability and partnership
In his future role, Dirk Otto will be responsible for the strategic orientation of the core operational divisions and their coordination with the remaining specialist departments at MEC. Otto stressed that the on-site teams possess in-depth market knowledge and many years of experience. This knowledge needs to be brought together even more consistently in future to deliver commercially viable solutions for clients and retail partners, and to unlock the potential of individual retail locations.
With this realignment, the retail real estate specialist aims to sustainably secure the quality and efficiency of the day-to-day management of its portfolio alongside its own corporate growth objectives.
