Growth Anchored in Trust and Accountability
Interview with Donald Vogt CEO of Marti Gesamtleistungen AG
As part of the Marti Group, Marti Gesamtleistungen AG plays an important role as a reliable project developer within Switzerland’s construction industry. In its day-to-day business, the company is guided by core values like trust and reliability – principles it is currently formalizing in a newly defined corporate mission statement. In an interview with European Business, CEO Donald Vogt discussed recent developments and the challenges shaping his business.
European Business: Mr. Vogt, with 80 group companies, the Marti Group constantly aims to live up to its slogan of building the future. What role does Marti Gesamtleistungen play within the group?
Donald Vogt: Marti Gesamtleistungen develops projects on land that we acquire. We then either sell them on once our work is done or retain them as part of our portfolio. We are also actively involved in tenders – for example, for hospital construction projects – which we plan in close collaboration with architects and engineers. From that point on, we coordinate construction services, including general contracting as well as foundation engineering and other specialized trades, depending on the respective project framework. We focus on development and construction management.
European Business: What does Marti Group do differently from other construction companies?
Donald Vogt: Even after more than 100 years in business and with over 7,000 staff we remain a family-run enterprise, now led by Reto Marti. At the same time, we are highly decentralized. The 80 group companies are managed by more than a dozen managing directors. Each entity has its own board of directors and prepares its own financial statements. We, the CEOs, in turn extend that same trust to our employees – and I believe that is one of the key reasons for our success.
European Business: How so?
Donald Vogt: Essentially, I look for an entrepreneurial mindset in every role. I do not want to be consulted on every detail – I expect people to bring forward solutions. Our project managers are encouraged to take full ownership of their work, so that their word truly carries weight at the construction site and beyond. This level of trust goes hand in hand with a very open approach to handling mistakes. I always tell my team that I want them to come to me especially when something has gone wrong – because that allows me to stand behind them if necessary. This approach creates a highly positive working environment, which is particularly important given the significant shortage of skilled labor in Switzerland. The same principle of trust also applies to our external partners, such as architects. We prefer not to interfere with their expertise – because that expertise is precisely what we engage them for.
European Business: What changes has your company undergone in recent years?
Donald Vogt: In our day-to-day operations, digitization has likely brought the most significant changes. Fortunately, this momentum has largely come from within our team rather than being imposed from management. For example, our entire lean planning approach was initiated by our employees who recognized its benefits and actively pushed for its adoption. We then supported them with the necessary training. We were also early adopters of Building Information Modeling, first working with it more than a decade ago during the construction of the Felix Platter Hospital in Basel, Switzerland. We constantly follow our motivation to improve and to become even more effective in what we do – and we are equally willing to abandon an initiative when we recognize it is not delivering the desired results. Never resting on our laurels and learning from our mistakes this mindset is what keeps pushing us.
European Business: You are currently developing a mission statement and engaging in an in-depth discussion about your company’s values.
Donald Vogt: That process is partly driven by our continued growth. In the past, many of our employees – some of whom have been with us for decades – instinctively understood what the “Marti spirit” stands for. Colleagues that joined us more recently from other organizations with different corporate cultures prefer to see these values articulated more clearly, however. They also tend to have a stronger focus on structured processes. For me, this is an incredibly exciting process. We are working with an external partner and conducting workshops across the organization – sometimes with senior management present, sometimes without them – to capture our values in a very detailed and authentic way.