29.09.2024

“Talk to people and you’ll always find something in common”

Daniel Gmür works for the Wallisellen branch in Zürich Nord as Technical Manager, Residental Property. Following a career in carpentry, he joined Wincasa six months ago. What does the TOM programme mean to him? And what are his favourite parts of the job?

Daniel, what exactly do you do all day as technical property manager?

I assist our managers and administrators with everything on the construction side. I consult on smaller repairs or modifications, and I have complete responsibility for all projects with a budget in excess of CHF 10,000. If all that’s needed is a tradesperson or vendor, I am not involved. Once we have more people than that on site, things become more complex and that’s where I come in to coordinate and handle everything.

I also visit our properties regularly to perform inspections and write walk-through reports. We use these to plan the next year’s budget: How much do we need for maintenance, do we need to upgrade anything, etc.? I am also in charge of supervising the building superintendents, hiring new ones as needed or acting as intermediary between them and the property managers in case of any issues. I deal with the warranty issues for new construction.

What's the best part of your job?

I am a carpenter by trade. I am really good at speaking with tradespeople and managing projects, and that’s what I love doing the most. I am also used to a certain manner of communicating and when you talk to people, you’ll always find something in common. It’s also a great feeling to help our property managers with advice and hands-on tasks.

What is the most important part of your job?

My duties are varied and we have a lot of projects going at once. Without precise scheduling and carefully maintained lists of work in progress, you may as well forget it. Planning is job number one. And at times you have to say “Sorry, I just can't fit it in”. That was something I learned by doing.

What do you like about the TOM system?

I shoulder some of the burden for the property managers, because I go to the properties and coordinate the complex projects. They don't have to do that on top of everything else, and I can focus on those tasks 100%. It’s a great help to the property managers and keeps operations efficient.

What do you appreciate about Wincasa as an employer?

I have a very good relationship with each and every one of my colleagues. Appreciation and communication on our team couldn’t be better. Our work schedules are flexible, I can work from home and I can arrange my own workday. I really value that, and it’s something I never had before.

There are also a lot of subject areas at Wincasa that I am very interested in and hope to learn about in future, such as construction management, facility management and more. I want to stay here for a long time and gain additional experience.

Daniel lives in Bremgarten and works at the Wallisellen branch of Wincasa with 11 colleagues. When he’s not working, he loves going to rock and heavy metal concerts. He is a founding member of the “Pivo Samstig” organisation that has been hosting special events for about ten years and has grown from four to 15 people.

We interviewed Philipp Schoch to learn more about the TOM.