Matthias Sandfort

As Director Relationship Manager Corporate Clients/Head of Surety – Germany I am part of a dynamic team of professionals that focuses on developing our brand in the European surety market. The Surety and Guarantee Team is a small unit of financial specialists responsible for developing the German Surety business. Surety bonds, also known as guarantees are an essential part of the financing structure for our clients.

I was heading a team to manage a € multi billion real estate loan book. This included credit handling and administration same as origination and execution of transactions. The team provided and support Corestate and third party clients in all aspects of real estate financing for project developments, yielding assets and real estate portfolios as well as cash flow-based and structured financings (senior/junio/mezz structures) for various asset classes across selected european countries.

Key responsibility in this role is to s provide support to and the selection of debt and equity partners across various instruments and on behalf of group members and third parties. The role allows to lead a team of experienced Bankers.

This responsibility included all activities related to the investment loan process including sourcing, underwriting but also bond structuring, involvement of third-party junior and mezzanine capital, due diligence, syndication and investment management (Germany and some European countries). Steering thoughtful analysis across all real estate sectors, and providing final feedback to senior management regarding transaction profiles in order to support the banks decision making and execution process.

I was overseeing a team of roughly 25 people in two groups and four locations. It was a multi jurisdiction loan pool work out task. The pool comprised complex performing and non-performing loans. Individual lot sizes ranged between € 30 – 700m+X. I was able to manage Helaba’s exposure to the entire capital structure – pre-administration, underwriting, negotiating, structuring and executing senior, mezz and joint venture equity within Europe including UK and North America throughout all asset classes.

Since November 2010 I was overseeing, together with a newly built team, special situation loans in Helaba’s Task Force Real Estate unit on an European level. Furthermore this position offered the opportunity to cover selected markets in Western Europe from the new business perspective. The business approach of Helaba covers office-, retail and industrial sectors as well as pan European portfolio transactions.

Since the beginning of 2007 I was with Helaba Landesbank Hessen-Thüringen, where I took responsibility for client coverage, relationship management and transaction management throughout Central and Eastern Europe. During my many years of working with institutional investors, property companies and developers, I was responsible for origination and execution of debt financings regarding portfolio transactions, large single asset investments and syndicated credit facilities.

I started my career in Real Estate in 1994 and worked mostly on the lending side, initially with a local savings bank, than with WestLB Group where I was responsible for client coverage, relationship management and transaction management throughout Central and Eastern Europe. During my many years of working with institutional investors, property companies and developers, I was responsible for origination and execution of debt financings