Corporate Structure

Vonovia SE, the parent company of the Vonovia Group, is organized in the legal form of a dualistic European company (SE). Vonovia SE is directed by a Management Board, which is responsible for conducting business and defining the Group’s strategy. The strategy is implemented in close coordination with the Supervisory Board, which is regularly briefed by the Management Board regarding the development of business, strategy and potential opportunities and risks. The Supervisory Board oversees the activities of the Management Board.

Vonovia SE has its registered headquarters in Germany. Since 2017, its registered office has been in Bochum. The head office (principal place of business) is located at Universitätsstrasse 133, 44803 Bochum.

As of December 31, 2022, 654 legal entities/companies (of which 429 in Germany) formed part of the Vonovia Group. A detailed list of Vonovia SE shareholdings is appended to the Notes to the consolidated financial statements.

Vonovia SE performs the function of the management holding company for the Group. In this role, it is responsible for determining and pursuing the overall strategy and implementing the company’s goals. It also performs property management, financing, service and coordination tasks for the Group. Furthermore, it is responsible for the management, control and monitoring system as well as risk management system of the Group.

In order to carry out management functions, Vonovia SE has established a series of service companies, particularly for commercial and operational support functions, which are centralized in shared service centers. By pooling the corporate functions on a uniform management platform, Vonovia achieves harmonization, standardization and economies of scale objectives, and the other Group companies thus do not need to perform such functions themselves. This bundling is a prerequisite for the efficient and effective management of a portfolio of more than 548,000 apartments and also provides the basis for the successful digitalization of Vonovia’s process chains. The development business is largely managed via project companies.

With our efficient organizational model, optimized processes, a clear focus on service, and, as a result, on our tenants, and a clear investment strategy focusing on climate protection, we are laying the foundation for a sustainable business while safeguarding our legitimate interests as a private-sector company.

Vonovia’s Scalable Organizational Model: Strong Regional Presence and Efficient Central Shared Services

A balanced mix of services provided by the central service center, regional caretakers working on-site and our company’s own technical and residential environment organization, combined with housing-related services (Value-add), ensures that our tenants’ concerns can be attended to in a timely, straightforward and reliable manner. This plays a key role in ensuring that our customers feel that they have good support in their environment.

In addition to its successful long-term and modern property management, Vonovia also develops its real estate portfolio through targeted acquisitions and sales. The goals associated with new portfolios acquisitions include strengthening its overall regional presence, realizing operational and financial economies of scale and optimizing structures.

In addition, Vonovia will be using new construction and development measures, densification and vertical expansion to build new apartments in order to meet the rising demand for living space in metropolitan areas in particular. The development organization operating under the BUWOG name gives Vonovia extensive product and process expertise in the field of construction and in the development of residential construction projects. This means that Vonovia has not only a management platform but also an end-to-end development platform spanning the entire value chain.

Retirement and care homes are operated under the brands KATHARINENHOF and PFLEGEN & WOHNEN HAMBURG under the Deutsche Wohnen umbrella. These facilities provide full residential care, the aim being to maintain an active lifestyle and residents’ independence to the greatest possible extent. Senior citizen-friendly services are also provided within the context of assisted living. The nursing care activities are currently being subjected to a strategic review by the Management Board of Deutsche Wohnen.

The management of the operating business is based on the company’s strategic approaches and is conducted via the four segments: Rental, Value-add, Recurring Sales and Development. As a result of the merger with Deutsche Wohnen, the latter’s activities in the Nursing Care segment are managed as an independent segment. Details on the management of our business can be found in the chapter on our Management System.