Ulrika H.-Bartoleit has recently joined the IRC team but she isn’t really brand new, she has come back to us after 12 years of sunny life in Mallorca and we are thrilled to have her skills back on board.
Ulrika was born in Venezuela to german parents, this was the beginning of a very multi-cultural life. After spending her first 20 years in her beloved ‘Latino homeland’, she moved to the USA to study interior design. Following her studies, she began her life in Germany at the beginning of the ’80s, first in Hamburg then Berlin. Berlin is where she started her family. Career-wise she gained a lot of experience in working at Trade fairs and congresses. She retrained as a German/Spanish language translator and most importantly became business partners with Ariane Almerood in their relocation endeavour INTOBERLIN – which lasted for 5 very successful years. But her Spanish speaking roots came calling and this resulted in 12 exciting years on the island of Mallorca, working both in the interior design and realtor sectors. 2018 she returned back to Berlin and back to the ‘Almerood Relocation Family’ of IRC Relocation. Ulrika’s motto is ‘In life, one must always stay curious and keep moving!’
Welcome back Ulrika!
Meet Josi!
Josi is our newest team member, she is supporting the office & consultant team as a Werkstudentin (Student Trainee).
Josi in her own words: I live for art and design and which is what I do all day long. I am also studying for my Bachelor in Media Design here in Berlin and supporting IRC with my all intuition and skills. I am having a lot of fun and I am really looking forward to seeing what tasks await me in this new position!
IRC has launched a new and improved website, we invite you to come and read some more in-depth information about our work and our wonderful team!
Meet Sabina!
Sabina Heyn is an Account Manager and Relocation Consultant at IRC. She has been with IRC since 2017 and working with Assignees to start life in their new hometown of Berlin.
In her own words – I am a native German, has been living in Berlin since 1978. Throughout the course of my career as a flight attendant, she has had the chance to travel all over the world. She spent an extensive amount of time in the U.S.A. as well as Indonesia. It is through my travels and my work experience in an international environment that I have developed my intercultural sensitivity. My intercultural competence has been deepened further by specific intercultural training.
Favourite Place in Berlin – Wannsee and all other green neighbourhoods.
A great place to eat in Berlin – Aux delices Normands (great french cakes, tarts, coffee and bread), usually very nice locations, several branches in Berlin.
A hidden gem in Berlin – Mutter Fourage, a beautiful cafe and organic shop located in the lake district of Wannsee.
Best day trip from Berlin – Spreewald, a really unique area with forests and canals around 2 hours outside of Berlin (South East).
Meet Radha!
Radha Barna Roa is the Chief Technology Officer at IRC. He has been with IRC since the end of 2017 as a freelancer for technical support and at the beginning of 2020, he started the position as CTO. As CTO it is very important to introduce well developed and scalable tools to make the work more effective and easy to use in the mobile world.
Radha speaks German, Spanish and English. He has lived in Germany and Columbia. He enjoys working at IRC to learn to use established tools and adapt them to the conditions of the highly dynamic relocation business. He also supports the IRC team in all things technical/digital related.
A great place to eat in Berlin – Panzerotto – Italian easy food
A hidden gem in Berlin – Rieselfelder Karolinenhöhe, in the 19th century the Gatower Karolinenhöhe, between Potsdamer Chaussee and Gatower Straße, became one of the 20 Rieselfelder in Berlin. Based on the idea of James Hobrecht and Rudolf von Virchow to build a closed water system in Berlin, these fields were used for the biological treatment of wastewater.
You can stroll, ride or cycle through the fields on numerous paths and trails in this protected area. The untouched nature makes you forget that you are still in the capital city of Germany. In the summer you can find a shady spot under trees and picnics overlooking the fields. If you want to experience a bit of culture and history afterwards, it is worth visiting the Military History Museum, Fort Hahneberg or continuing on the Wall Trail.
Luisa Haack is an Account Manager and Relocation Consultant at IRC. She has been with IRC since 2017 looking after assignees as they start their new life in Berlin. Luisa is very empathetic, this helps her to understand her client’s wishes and their needs and she aims to go above and beyond to meet these requirements.
Luisa is born and bred in Berlin, she loves to share her hometown with ‘new Berliners’ and show them just what she loves about the city. Luisa speaks German and English.
In her own words:
Favourite place in Berlin – My favourite neighbourhood is around Kurfürstendamm (City West). Apart from the great shops on the main street, you can always find small but awesome cafés on the side streets where you can relax with a cup of coffee and croissant or healthy lunch.
A hidden Gem in Berlin – I’ve discovered a beautiful courtyard bakery in City West – Aera – in Fasanenstraße. You must try the Miso-Sesame Pastry, but don’t tell anyone! 😉
Best day trip from Berlin – I can really recommend discovering the beautiful lakes around Berlin in summer.
Great place to eat – Breakfast/Brunch: ‘Die Stulle‘ in Charlottenburg, ‘Spindler‘ on the Maybachufer. Evening Meal: ‘Mädchenitaliener‘ at Rosa-Luxemburg Platz or ‘Osmans Töchter‘ at Savigny Platz.
About the author
Hi there! My name is Juli Buchanan. I have German roots but I grew up in New Zealand and I have been living in Germany since 2004. I love sharing my passion for Berlin and all it has to offer with new ‚Berliners‘ and through my work as a freelance Relocation Consultant with IRC I have the opportunity to do so.
Meet Anja!
Anja Kunzke is an Account Manager & Senior Consultant at IRC. She has been with IRC since 2013 and she is very experienced in the relocation business. Anja loves working with people and is passionate about Berlin.
Anja spends her day’s boots on the ground with Assignees, supporting with immigration matters, home & school searches and accompanying families & individuals in all their relocation needs. Her favourite part of the job is spending time with people and ensuring that their relocation to Berlin is not only smooth but showing what a great new ‘Home’ Berlin will be.
Anja is originally from Frankfurt, she has been living in Berlin since 2009. She also spent 9 years living abroad in the USA with her family, so she knows what a relocation feels like and what the most important aspects are of finding comfort in your new surroundings. Anja speaks German, English, Spanish and a little French. She enjoys travelling and spending time getting to know new cultures. She has a wonderful warm nature and she is a huge asset to our team and all the assignees she works with.
Favourite place in Berlin: The lake district of Wannsee and the surrounding area, the water and forests provide a beautiful balance of tranquillity to the urban jungle in the centre of Berlin. The hidden beaches perfect for summer swimming along the shores of the Wannsee are a top tip!
A great place to eat in Berlin:Cafe Jacques on the Maybach Ufer in Kreuzberg or the Night Kitchen in Mitte.
A hidden gem in Berlin: Roaming around the ‘Hinterhöfe’ (Courtyards) in Mitte, especially in the Galerienviertel (Gallery & Art Quarter) of Berlin around Oranienburger Str – finding wonderful little galleries and cafes hidden behind the main facades, worth a day of exploration.
Best day trip from Berlin: The incredible Heilstätten Beelitz, a former Tuberculosis which was built over 100 years ago by Architect Heino Schmieden and offered a place for Berliners to recover in beautifully designed buildings and forest surroundings. However, the hospital was left to nature decades ago and is now overgrown and offers a fascinating journey into the past. There is a walkway which has been built above the treetops and for children & families, there is a ‘barefoot’ path through the forest which offers some wonderful experiences.
Beelitz Heilstätten Treetop Path
About the author
Hi there! My name is Juli Buchanan. I have German roots but I grew up in New Zealand and I have been living in Germany since 2004. I love sharing my passion for Berlin and all it has to offer with new ‚Berliners‘ and through my work as a freelance Relocation Consultant with IRC I have the opportunity to do so.
Meet Niklas! He is the General Manager of IRC.
In his own words:
I joined IRC-Berlin in January 2019 and took over from Ariane in January 2020. Currently, I’m adjusting and setting up my vision in my new position as General Manager for IRC.
My vision for IRC is to be a company which understands the needs of its customers combined with the solutions of our digital sphere in 2020. As I’ve worked in several digital businesses I see my biggest personal challenge to implement the heart of a truly digital company into IRC’s services. Additionally, it’s super important for me to understand the whole journey of the relocation process which means what happens before and after the relocation. Therefore I’m setting up business models and structures which allow to support these specific phases in the overall process. After setting up our Change Management Workshops and Intercultural Trainings IRC will be able to be the ultimate partner when it comes down to having a full package. We can support our clients in every tough situation while moving over to Germany and after the settling in process.
Berlin is just the start for us!
My favourite place in Berlin is hard to pick – there are so many places and districts that are fantastic. Every district in Berlin is like a whole new city. If I’ve to choose I would go with Kreuzberg for all the variety of tasty food and different cultures. Currently, I’m living in Mitte and it feels like the perfect mixture between Kreuzberg and Charlottenburg where I used to live.
A great place to eat in Berlin is Markthalle Neun in Kreuzberg – this vivid place offers you a fantastic variety of freshly made food. You can choose between so many nice dishes which are prepared directly in front of you. This place is full of life!
My hidden gem in Berlin for sure is the Lietzensee which is located in the centre of Charlottenburg. This area is perfect to have a run or just to relax in the sun during summer. Most important it’s not overcrowded like most the parks in Berlin.
Favourite Place in Berlin, when it comes down to the best trip from Berlin I would say Prague! It takes you around 3 hours to go there and this city is just breathtaking! For watersport enthusiast like me, I also enjoy having a time out in Zossen where you can find a Wakeboard Cablepark which offers the perfect conditions to spend a whole day switched off!
Meet Ariane!
Ariane Almerood has worked in the relocation sector for 21 years, she founded IRC 15 years ago and built the company to what it is today. 2020 she passed on the leadership of IRC to her son Niklas Almerood, but she is still supporting IRC and the consultants with her extensive knowledge in her role on the Board of Advisors.
In her own words:
The fact of moving all my life, living on three different continents, Asia, North American and Europe made me “experienced”. New cultures, new social structures, new languages, new environments, new colours and new smells, were part of my lifestyle. I had been doing this most of my life. However, my move from Munich to Berlin in 1998 was the most difficult.
We, my family and I were supported by a relocation agent and I understood how important it is was to have someone by my side to explain the new environment and with whom I could discuss the challenges. Berlin was rough in 1998. I spoke the language but felt like a stranger. I asked myself, what does a New Berliner do when they can’t understand the language, nor the strange German ways. The seed for IRC was planted.
The moving boxes were unpacked, the house now a home, my children in school, my husband at work in a familiar corporate culture, my cat happy in the garden and I was needy. I gave up my job, my friends and my comfort zones. This experience sparked my decision to assist others with their adjustment processes. My first relocation company was established in 1999 and IRC Berlin grew out of this experience in 2005.
We take the needs of each family member serious and offer guidance to resolve these. What drives us to excel, is the challenge to assist the New Berliner with organizational tasks allowing them to settle emotionally. The entire IRC Team has experienced living abroad and can emphatically support New Berliner.
Favourite Place in Berlin: I have become a typical Berliner, after 20 years, and my favourite place in Berlin is my “Kiez”. I love walking down the Ku’damm, there is always something new to see and experience, or drink coffee at Stuttgarter Platz, with its historical past or just around the block. I love watching my Kiez change its face with new buildings, new shops and new Cafés and restaurants. I now have my “Koffer” in Berlin and couldn’t live in any other German city.
A great place to eat in Berlin: In Berlin, there is such a large variety of interesting and good restaurants. I stay within my Kiez. Stuttgarter Platz offers a wide variety of restaurants. The square full of tables outdoors, always lively and with a historical past …. I love it. And the adjoining streets, the Leonhardt Strasse has a special “feel good” flair with its speciality shops and restaurants and the Windscheidtstrasse offer such a special atmosphere, as well as great yoghurt ice cream.
A hidden gem in Berlin: My favourite places aren’t hidden but offer many gems. Berlin is one of the greenest cities in Germany. The Tiergarten is a special place with its beer gardens, flea market, the zoo and many paths for biking and walking only to end in front of Brandenburger Tor, Reichstag and the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. I also love walking along the River Spree, the Museums Island, the Monbijou Park with its open-air tango and salsa dancing lessons. This is Berlin and this could be my hidden gem! It’s a feel-good experience.
Best day trip from Berlin: I grew up in California, near the beach, and in Munich, I had my “hide-away” place at Starnberger See. Water is my element. The Ostsee certainly isn’t the Pacific but Usedom and the Darß are my favourite day trips (although I prefer a few days on the Darß).
