Anniversary interview: Ticino success story
20 years of Micaela and Livit – a remarkable evolution
Shortly after celebrating 60 years of Livit, we are pleased to announce another anniversary: that of our branch manager in Ticino, Micaela Tobler. She has been with Livit for an impressive 20 years and has not only taken a notable career path during this time, but has also contributed significantly to the development and immense growth of the Ticino branch. In this interview, Micaela provides insight into her personal history and the Livit success story from the sun-drenched canton.
Congratulations on your 20th anniversary, Micaela! You’ve been with us for a third of the company’s entire history. We’d like to know what led you to Livit back then and what made you stay for all these years.
Thank you very much. Before my time with Livit, I lived a completely different life. I worked in the hotel industry abroad for ten years, which came about by chance due to a job offer during a holiday in Egypt. After my first hotel job in Egypt, I spent time in the Caribbean, Taiwan, India and Indonesia. In Taiwan, I ran my own restaurant together with my husband at the time.
The hotel industry in Switzerland was too old-fashioned for me, so I went in a new direction when I returned. I saw a Livit advertisement in the newspaper for a job as an administrator. I applied and got the job. That was my entry point into the world of real estate.
I’ve always believed in Livit’s potential. And despite a few challenges over the years, the desire to expand the branch in Ticino encouraged me to stay on the ball.
What jobs and positions have you had?
I started as an administrator, then I was promoted to junior manager, manager and finally senior manager. In 2016, I was given the opportunity to take over the position of branch manager, which I accepted gladly.
The fact that I have gone through all the levels in the property management hierarchy now also helps me to understand all the employees. Looking back, I am proud of my career and would not want to have missed a single day of my development.
What were the biggest challenges you faced?
The biggest challenge was to promote Livit in the region because, until a few years ago, Livit was not well-known in Ticino. This has changed dramatically – today everyone knows us.
Getting the name known and growing from 6 to 25 employees in just a few years required a lot of commitment and energy. However, I always believed that we could attain what we have achieved today. But none of this would have been possible without a well-functioning team and the trust of my superiors. I very much appreciate this support.
Compared to other companies in Ticino, we are very progressive, particularly when it comes to digitalisation. This could also be deemed a specific challenge, because constant transformation requires a particularly good mindset from all employees with respect to change management.
What has led to the significant expansion of the branch?
In Ticino, it is more difficult to be awarded contracts by institutional clients, as most of them are based in German-speaking Switzerland. Nevertheless, we were the first Ticino branch to win several large institutional clients that operate throughout Switzerland.
Also worth mentioning is the increased construction activity of large customers such as Swiss Life. Thanks to the stability and professionalism of our team, our clients placed their trust in us to support their projects.
We recorded the most growth from 2019 onwards, with the recruitment of 15 additional employees.
Micaela at Livit events
What is your leadership philosophy and has it changed over the years?
I found the development of the leadership style within Livit to be very positive. In general, we have become much less hierarchical than we used to be. Our culture is built on trust, which I also share with my team. They trust me and vice versa.
When I took over the position of branch manager, I went from being a colleague to being a boss and I was worried about whether this change would work out well. Fortunately, however, all my colleagues responded very positively and they placed this trust in me from the outset.
Harmony and stability in the team are very important to me, they are necessary to create cohesion and for the branch to function well.
What is the role of the Ticino branch and how does the interregional cooperation within Livit work?
Although the Gotthard is in the way a bit, we work very closely and intensively together. Many colleagues from other branches have contributed to my success and that of my branch. Our culture is admired by many competitors throughout Switzerland.
Livit Ticino was small until a few years ago and was initially a branch of Lucerne. We now have the same role as all other branches and are almost as big as Solothurn and Bern.
Livit’s culture and direction also apply to us. Even if we and the tenants in our region think differently and have a different mentality, we work in line with the same processes. In Ticino, our digital rental process and the tenant portal app myLivit, for example, mean we stand out from the crowd. But we have managed to dispel the reservations of some tenants and show them the benefits.
The Ticino team, digitalisation of records, relocation and new office space
To sum it up – what were your greatest milestones and success stories?
My personal highlight was in 2016 when I took the helm here at the branch office – like a captain on a sometimes turbulent but highly exciting boat trip!
Growing to 25 employees, two or (soon to be) three moves to larger premises, winning various major contracts, numerous new buildings and many first-time rental projects in just a few years – I would call this a success story that I am particularly proud of.
How do you view the future of your branch and the industry in general?
We have many long-term employees. I find this stability with respect to personnel a great endorsement. It is important and must continue to be maintained. The digitalisation trend, which constantly brings changes with it, will continue. We have managed this well over the years and are responding positively to the transformation in the forward-looking Livit culture. One thing is certain – we’re never bored.
Thank you very much for the interview. We wish you every success in the future!
