STRATEGY AND ORGANIZATION

True Value Lies in Clear Direction for Change

“How can we align our strategy and organisation to ensure long-term flexibility, innovation and success?”

The short answer is: We integrate strategy, organisation and processes into a comprehensive approach and support you in implementing it, including change management.

Markets evolve fast. New technologies, shifting geopolitical developments, and rising social expectations force companies and public institutions to reevaluate their strategies and organizations. Technical growth no longer depends on size alone. It depends on smart decisions: Which businesses are ready for the future? Which processes need improvement? How can performance remain high?

Resilience must guide every decision. Operations must stay efficient, innovative, and measurable. That’s where our strategic consulting comes in.

We tackle complex tasks by helping you keep a strategic overview. We give your projects a clear direction and – together with your team – shape strategies that make your company competitive and ready for the future.

Our Services – Strategy, Growth, Organization

We align strategy and structure with your goals – from the initial analysis to full implementation. Our work focuses on three dimensions: strategy, growth, and organization.

Strategy

We assess your market position, identify trends, and develop robust strategies for companies, businesses, or products. We consider your goals, stakeholder expectations, and competitor benchmarks. Together, we secure your long-term position in the market.

Growth

Working on new areas of business, M&A projects, or digital business models? We develop and evaluate business cases, entry strategies, and sustainable structures. We help you recognize opportunities, retire outdated approaches, and choose the right path for business growth.

Organization

Changing your strategy has a direct impact on your organization. Together, we reorganize, restructure, and transform processes to strengthen efficiency and acceptance. The key to implementing change is to make it clear and tangible for everyone.

What You Get – From Vision to Value

Our consulting combines strategic, organizational, and cultural insight. We don’t deliver pre-packaged concepts. We design them with you based on your needs. What you can expect:

Clarity and Overview
We give you all the tools and insights to make informed, confident decisions.
Efficiency and Results
Our concepts are practical and measurable. They improve structures, processes, and working culture.
Sustainable Change
We embed new standards and approaches for long-term impact.

Our consultants become your sparring partners. With expertise in real estate, infrastructure, and industry, they understand your challenges. Their know-how helps you act today to stay ready for tomorrow.

Major Projects Consulting

Complex projects demand resources, precision, and foresight. We create strategies, structures, and management systems that reduce risk and secure success.

Learn more

Brand Solutions

Companies in automotive, retail, banking, telecommunications, and lifestyle face strong pressure to transform: markets shift rapidly, customer expectations grow, and regulations tighten. Brands must roll out new spaces, formats, and touchpoints faster, more efficiently, and more consistently than ever. Our team develops strategic rollout concepts for brand, retail, and service spaces and implements them internationally at scale.

Learn More

References

STADTREINIGUNG DRESDEN GMBH (SRD)

Stadtreinigung Dresden GmbH (SRD) is the central municipal service provider for waste management in the greater Dresden area. It keeps the city clean and liveable, now and for the future. At the same time, its responsibilities are growing. New legal requirements and a diverse project portfolio are increasing the complexity of its work. Drees & Sommer is working with the company’s team to develop a tailored system that reflects the specific characteristics of the organisation.

Learn more

Press 10/02/2025

Drees & Sommer joins forces with VVA Project & Cost Manager

Drees & Sommer joins forces with VVA (from left to right): Kenneth Wood (Managing Director of Drees & Sommer UK and Partner of Drees & Sommer), Lorenzo Vascotto (Founding Member and Partner of VVA), Dana Panzarino (Partner of VVA), Marc D. Chiapperino (Partner of VVA), Philipp Späth (Partner of Drees & Sommer), Steffen Szeidl (Chief Executive Officer and Partner of Drees & Sommer), Adam Kavanagh (Partner of VVA), Chris Petryshin (Partner of VVA) and Kevin Gold (Partner of VVA) © VVA – Part of Drees & Sommer, Drees & Sommer

Stuttgart, New York, 10.02.2025. Drees & Sommer SE, a consulting company specializing in construction, real estate and infrastructure, is continuing its global expansion. With the merger with the US-based company VVA, founded in 1994, the German company is strengthening its position in the North American market. As a specialist in project management and cost consulting, VVA, headquartered in New York, offers interdisciplinary consulting services to clients at 12 locations. "The integration of VVA is an important milestone in our growth strategy," says Steffen Szeidl, Chief Executive Officer of Drees & Sommer. "Together we can further expand our expertise in the USA and provide even more comprehensive support to our local clients."

The merger became legally effective on January 31, 2025, and supports Drees & Sommer's global strategy. The company currently employs more than 6,500 people in 63 offices worldwide and has increasingly focused on international markets in recent years. With more than 100 employees, VVA has a broad customer base across a wide range of sectors. The company will operate under the name VVA - Part of Drees & Sommer.

Steffen Szeidl, Chief Executive Officer: "We are thrilled about our merger with VVA, a widely recognized leader in the fields of project management and cost management in the U.S. This merger brings together two strong companies with shared values and philosophies. Together, we will strengthen our market position, unlock new growth opportunities, and deliver even better solutions to our customers on a global scale. This partnership marks a significant milestone on our journey into the future."

"We are confident that this merger will create exciting opportunities for our customers, VVA and us," says Philipp Späth, Partner of Drees & Sommer. "We will combine our strengths and expand our reach, both globally and locally. This will allow us to offer our customers a broader range of services, expanding into new markets."

Kenneth Wood, Partner of Drees & Sommer, adds: “Our experience with the merger with AA Projects in the UK in 2022 has shown us the immense potential that such partnerships can unlock. This new merger with our American partner is another step in our strategy to become an international company. We are confident that this collaboration will drive innovation, enhance our service portfolio for both sides and deliver value for our customers across all markets.”

Synergies from local and global expertise

VVA supports its clients in the United States with a wide range of project management and cost consulting services. The service offer includes initial project and cost planning, due diligence, site selection, detailed cost estimates, procurement and bid management, design oversight, construction administration and cost control. VVA has supported international companies such as SONY and Allianz Global Invest to relocate their US headquarters to New York.

Lorenzo Vascotto, Founder and Managing Director of VVA, sees synergies for both companies in the merger: "The combination of our local expertise and Drees & Sommer's broad range of services strengthens our position in the market and opens up new opportunities." Vascotto is positive about the merger: “Due to the partnership structure of both companies, there are many similarities in corporate culture and philosophy. Our shared vision is to further develop the North American market with a focus on real estate and industry, and to support larger projects.”

Cross-selling and knowledge transfer between markets

According to Steffen Szeidl, the integration of VVA also opens up new cross-selling opportunities. "We can introduce American best practices into European projects and thus promote the transfer of knowledge between the two markets," says Szeidl. He sees this as an important stabilizing factor for European customers, especially in a dynamic market environment.

Drees & Sommer plans to further expand its presence in the USA in the coming years. In addition to supporting existing clients, new business areas are to be developed in the real estate, infrastructure and industrial sectors. Alongside project management and construction cost consultancy, the portfolio will include services in the areas of digitalization and sustainability.

About VVA:

VVA is a national independent Project & Cost Management firm comprised of seasoned professionals offering a full range of project & cost management, advisory and technical services within the real estate & construction industry. VVA was founded in New York City in 1994 and has steadily grown to include offices beyond New York in Boston, Westchester/Connecticut, New Jersey, Washington D.C., Florida, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Denver, Chicago, and the UK. As industry veterans, VVA’s philosophy is to partner with clients and become an integral part of their organization, providing the specialized expertise and resources needed to lead the project effort for the duration of the assignment. We pride ourselves on not only delivering our clients’ projects on schedule and within budget, but also providing the highest quality service and return on investment possible.

VVA: Project Management & Cost Management Company

About Drees & Sommer:
Uniting opposites to create a world we want to live in.
Drees & Sommer is a partner-managed, global consulting company providing a single source of consultation and implementation services for the real estate, infrastructure and industrial markets. The company delivers sustainable, innovative, and economically viable solutions that meet each client’s unique needs. Founded in 1970 and long recognized as a pioneer in driving sustainability and digitization, today Drees & Sommer employs more than 6,000 people at 63 offices. The company’s interdisciplinary teams are involved in around 6,500 projects worldwide, working to create a livable future and unite concepts which can at face value appear to be opposites: tradition and future, economy and ecology, analog and digital, efficiency and well-being. As ‘intrapreneurs’, the Drees & Sommer Partners are personally responsible for managing the company.