Stefan Olesch considers every detail and must also keep an eye on the big picture—and that’s exactly what makes his job interesting. As director, lead customer led developments Germany, Olesch handles key account management and oversees development for clients from the very beginning—starting with the acquisition of land and obtaining building permits to the implementation of a client’s requirements and preferences in coordination with the construction specifications of Prologis.

During the process, he has to take into account all the customer’s needs and the legal framework, which includes fire protection, storage of hazardous materials, the Water Resources Act and workplace guidelines. “Like a jigsaw puzzle, all the pieces have to fit together precisely to create a coherent overall picture,” says Olesch.

Career with real estate
Olesch has worked in real estate for many years. After graduating with a degree in architecture from the University of Cologne, he worked for a large retail company for 17 years, managing logistics facilities for food storage, medium-size retail locations, supermarkets, discount stores and more. His smallest project to date: He oversaw the conversion of an employer’s sponsor box, which consisted of 80 square meters in Cologne’s Rheinenergie Stadium.

He then moved to Prologis because collaboration with different nationalities and cross-border tasks appealed to him. “When I applied, I quickly realized that I had all the relevant qualities for the vacant position because there were many similarities to my previous work, but with better working conditions,” he says. “At Prologis, real estate development is the main task and is highly valued as such. However, I was surprised by the intense competition in the project development business—that’s where self-marketing and fun in customer acquisition come into play.”

Prologis also found that Olesch met the requirements for the position, so in June 2017 he started in development management, which was called “project management” at the time. Along with his colleagues, he implements planning and construction measures in Prologis’ core markets—including the Rhine-Ruhr region and in metropolitan areas, such as Hamburg, Munich, Berlin and surrounding areas. As a result, traveling to clients’ headquarters or to potential sites is also part of his duties. What he particularly appreciates about his job is the personal responsibility and creative freedom, the dynamic development of the company and its strong commitment to sustainability.

He advises future Prologis applicants to be open and honest, have the courage to learn new things and say goodbye to traditional methods.

Sustainability in action
Olesch’s job isn’t without challenges. Especially municipalities and communities are often skeptical of large new logistics developments and would prefer to see smaller-scale real estate, such as facilities for manufacturing and high-employment industries. “However, we are able to reconcile both worlds and design modern, future-oriented buildings for different purposes, all built on the same basic framework of sustainable construction,” explains Olesch. Another challenge is that smooth construction processes can no longer be taken for granted, mainly because it can be difficult to procure raw materials and building supplies due to disruptions in the supply chain.

Additionally, traffic, noise, pollutants, burdens on residents, and flora and fauna are big issues with strict regulations. Olesch and his team develop comprehensive, target-oriented forecasts with clear responses for the questions, concerns and requests of municipal stakeholders. It is important to Olesch that sustainability is more than an empty promise. “The curiosity or hope that a resource-saving construction method is not just an empty phrase but a demonstrable approach that we live by with good common sense—that helps me on the job,” he says.

His customers are also increasingly concerned with environmental issues. Energy management and sustainability, as well as environmental, social and governance (ESG) compliance, are topics about which Olesch advises his clients frequently, along with standardization, construction and other technical aspects.

No challenge too big
When he's not advising or representing customers, Olesch gets involved with charity events. He particularly enjoys the annual Stelvio for Life mountain run in the Italian Alps, which he’s completed several times with colleagues from different countries. (Over 1 million euros in donations were raised in 2022 for to benefit cancer research.) In his free time, Olesch sings in a choir, dines out with friends and works off the excess kilos with long runs in preparation for a marathon.

Be it a marathon or a professional challenge, Olesch lives by the motto: “Everything will be all right in the end. And if it’s not all right, it's not over yet.” For him, this is an important maxim in his profession.