Did you get any time off this summer?

I spent a week with my husband playing tennis in Croatia. We had a trainer who hopefully improved our game somewhat.

Which shot did you work on the most?

I guess everything, because we’re almost beginners. We need a lot of training.

I have some friends in Austria who recommended a tennis school that’s located in Graz [Austria], but the best thing is the training camps located by the water in Croatia. They have them in Istria, on the islands and in the south, so it’s quite convenient for us. You play for five to six days with a trainer, at a nice club where you get lots of attention.

It’s hard to find time for sports otherwise, isn’t it?

We both definitely spend too much time behind a desk in the office. But we’re planning another week at the end of September, when we’ll be going sailing in Gibraltar.

Hopefully you’re not beginners at that…

I’m not a beginner. I have all the Royal Yachting sailing certificates, and I’m trying to get my husband to love sailing as well and to get him at least competent at crew level so that I have a couple hands to help me.

Do you sail competitively?

I wanted to but I never really did any competitions. It’s pretty time consuming and obviously we don’t have any coastline in Slovakia. I got into sailing in the UK because I don’t like things that are connected with motors, like cars and motorboats. I like bicycles, sailboats and horse riding, it’s all part of the concept that I like. It’s a bit more demanding than simply pushing a button and turning the wheel. You have to think quite a bit when you sail and do some planning. 

So is that your usual pattern: a week off here and there through the year?

Yes. Unfortunately it’s not possible to get three weeks off, which is what you really need in order to switch off and not think about your work. So instead we try to have active holidays where we have to think about different things, learning new things that are connected to some sport. It helps to clear your head.

Do you check your email every day when you’re gone?

No. If I’m away for a week then I don’t. If something were to happen they can always call.

Do you have some dream vacation that you’re planning?

We don’t have a dream destination, but we like to travel to warm countries when it’s really cold here. We went to Venezuela, Mauritius and New Zealand. Those types of trips are usually for two weeks, though, since they’re far away. Sometime, I would like some time to have a vacation of two to three months and go wherever the road leads and not be bound by any job or restraints. That’s usually possible between jobs. I had that sort of time once, but if there are two of you it’s difficult to match it, timewise, and once you have your own company, you can never go away for three months.

Are you from Bratislava?

Yes. I was born here and lived here till I was 17. Then I started studying and working abroad. I returned for a couple years because of this idea to set up the real estate fund.

Real estate is fairly new for you, isn’t it?

In terms of my whole career, yes. I started in 1995 at an investment bank in Austria called GiroCredit, which merged with Erste Bank, so I worked investment banking for three years on the equity side in Vienna, and about five years in London. After that in 2003 I started looking into real estate and we opened the company in November 2004.

When you started, though, was property just another asset class?

It wasn’t very difficult, actually. It’s something that most people have some sort of understanding about because they have their own home, they’re thinking of buying a place to retire or for their children. So I don’t think it’s so difficult to understand, the way investment banking issues like equity and derivatives are.

In business, what’s the best way for someone to make a bad impression on you?

Not to keep your word. That’s the worst thing that can happen in a business relationship. Something has been agreed upon and suddenly it doesn’t apply. I’ve experienced it twice in Slovakia on a large scale, and both times it left me very disappointed.

You’ve lived abroad quite a bit. Is that something you think people from this region should automatically do?

It depends on the person. Some people really like to leave home and learn new things, but others could find it very stressful psychologically. Of course, if you’re talking about the average business person, then I think obviously it’s a good thing to get out. If nothing else you can study the language and make friends.

Do you find you lose contact with your old friends?

I still keep in touch with people I met in Austria and London. We don’t just meet socially but also for business. It’s important to have these contacts. Certainly, if you want to do investment banking, you won’t get very far in you stay in Slovakia. You really need to go to New York, London or Frankfurt to experience the atmosphere of a huge trading floor with 600 people in one room, the shouting, the big orders from clients. It’s a different atmosphere.

Are you a city person?

I hate big cities now. The older I get, the less I like to be around lots of people and noise; it’s probably normal. I really prefer to be in green areas, I like to take walks and to have peace and quiet. Our apartment is in the center of Bratislava, but it’s in a quiet area near the castle and I can walk to work in a few minutes. So in this way I can solve the dilemma of living in the city in a quiet area without having to commute every day for 45 minutes.

What’s fun to do in Bratislava?

That’s a difficult question, because it’s a small, provincial town. Tourists come here for the day, but you can’t find many major exhibitions or artists here. I should be more positive about it, I suppose, but after living in Vienna and London, Bratislava can’t surprise me with anything. It’s a nice calm town compared to London; the air is much cleaner, it’s more compact. What’s good is that it’s very close to the mountains and to the forest, so you can even go there after work.

I can't believe you don't have any good cultural activities in Bratislava…

Actually, we have very good theater and very good actors here. That's what I really like to go to. I always look forward to the new season in September. Now they've opened the new National Theater, so my goal is to go see something there in the new building.