What does an active investor from Australia, specializing in infrastructure with a focus on sustainability, do? Correct: they invest in airports. «If you want to make a difference like we do, you have to leverage where you can make an impact,» says Anna Demarmels, Head of Business Development at IFM Investors.

Demarmels adds, «With our involvement, we can contribute to reducing emissions.» Solar panels, district heating solutions, sustainable aviation fuel – there is a whole range of approaches.

Anna Demarmels, Head of Business Development at IFM Investors (Image: zVg)

134,3 Billion Euro in Assets Under Management

IFM Investors are involved in a number of airports around the world: from Vienna to Manchester, Sydney, Toronto, and Melbourne. «We have now accumulated impressive knowledge in this area. This also makes it interesting for our clients,» says Demarmels.

The Australians have a penchant not just for airports but for infrastructure projects in general. They have made a name for themselves in this field. With 134,3 billion euro in assets under management, IFM is one of the world's largest infrastructure managers with over 690 investors globally.

First European Office Opened in Zurich

These investors include pension funds, investment foundations, and insurance companies – also from Switzerland. For this reason, IFM Investors opened their first office in Europe in Zurich, on Gessnerallee. This was in 2018, just before the COVID-19 pandemic.

This made things not entirely easy for the team. But at IFM Investors, crises are always seen as opportunities. «They give us the chance to become better,» says Demarmels. And in the case of IFM Investors, things have also improved financially here. Six years ago, they started with 500 million euro in assets under management; today, it is 2 billion.

Switzerland Offers Even More

This is not the end of it. Demarmels expects strong growth in the coming years: «Infrastructure investments are becoming more popular among Swiss investors. We expect quite a lot.»

At the same time, the Australians hope to find opportunities for investments in Switzerland. «To make investments, we need financially attractive opportunities that fit our approach. If we see something in Switzerland, we would not say no,» she says.