CIBU MBA Alumni at Dormero Hotel AG

Marcus Maximilian Wöhrl MBA

Vorstand (Board of Directors)

1. How did your studies in the USA help in your current position?

I think the most important part was to improve my english skills and to learn another culture. This is very important in the hospitality and hotel business.

2. What was the most valuable lesson you learned in your education at CIBU?

Be on time, otherwise the door will be closed

3. What was your favorite class? Why?

My favorite class was the statistical class with Dr Radcliff. He was a great teacher who learned us a lot of interesting things about the American life.

4. What is the greatest challenge you see for your industry in today’s marketplace?

To survive the price war in the hotel business with new creative ideas.

5. What would you say is the greatest change occurring in your industry?

To go new ways, always innovating.

6. What’s the greatest pleasure you get in your work?

To employ 700 employees and to guarntee them a good salary for them and their families.

Valerio Marino MBA

Geschäftsführer (CEO)

1.How did your studies in the USA help in your current position?

Quite a lot. Working together with different people from various cultures across the globe helps one understand differences. But also the fact that the whole program is in the US made me stronger as a person and helped me to prepare for unexpected situations and develop an ability to respond.

2. What was the most valuable lesson you learned in your education at CIBU?

I learned techniques for problem solving and an understanding of the ways in which people think and react in different situations. More importantly, I learned to be respectful and empathetic in a variety of situations with my employees.

3. What was your favorite class? Why?

I enjoyed all of my classes and professors. But Judge Sturgeon’s class was different in a great way. We learned about the US legal system, and visiting a US court was a very good experience. The entrepreneurship course with Brian Hawkins was awesome including the study tour with visits to companies including apple in Silicon Valley and San Francisco was more than a great experience.

4. What is the greatest challenge you see for your industry in today’s marketplace?

I would say making changes and understanding how a single change may affect others in the organization. It is difficult to make people comfortable with change even if they may not like the idea. Furthermore, it is difficult to make adjustments in cases where the change was not the right decision. I have learned that in these cases one has to restart the process and develop a new solution.

5. What would you say is the greatest change occurring in your industry?

Very difficult but I have simple answer. Since the whole world is changing at a frenetic pace, Dormero’s management and our team are prepared for and engaged in making the great changes necessary.

6. What’s the greatest pleasure you get in your work?

Working with smart and enthusiastic people. I enjoy seeing how important it is to be part of a system and transferring change through this system and our employees. Each step of the way it is vital to explain to the team how to act in the world of business and help them to find their own way, path by path.

Fabian Fernekess MBA

Bereichsleiter Personal, Recht & IT (Human Resources, Legal, IT)

1.How did your studies in the USA help in your current position?

It actually helped and still helps me in several situations in my position today. Beginning from the wild range of subjects I learned about to the active practicing of “real world” topics you need to be able to handle on a professional way, like the elevator pitch. It happens on a daily base that I have only a few seconds to convince people, why they want to work for Dormero.

2. What was the most valuable lesson you learned in your education at CIBU?

The most valuable lesson was probably the teamwork and discussions with people from all over the world. There is no better way to understand different cultures like working in international teams.

3. What was your favorite class? Why?

My favorite classes where ethical law with the judge including the excursion to court and the start up classes with Brian including the trips to LA and Berkeley.

4. What is the greatest challenge you see for your industry in today’s marketplace?

Todays greatest challenge is the fact that there exist more hotels in most cities than people actually need. Therefore, you have to be better than your competitors which surround you at the hotspots of every city. Don’t be afraid of investing in new technology and come up with new ideas to make people wane stay in your hotel. If you are like all the others, you have the same problems and fears than all the others. That’s why we work daily on the perfect Dormero Concept.

5. What would you say is the greatest change occurring in your industry?

The greatest change I see especially in „my“ branch, the HR-Management, is finding well educated young employees, who have the motivation to work in the Hotel branch. The Hotel branch is not the most favorite branch for young students nowadays, so it is not easy to find the right candidates with brain and a hands-on mentality at the same time. The ones who get into it and work hard enough will love it and make a career in this branch.

6. What’s the greatest pleasure you get in your work?

Dormero is not a typical start-up company any more after almost 7 years in the business and 9 Hotels including our management department with over 60 employees in Berlin – but it definitely feels like working for a start-up company. There is so much change within every single year due to the quick rise of the company, yearly hotel take-overs and the focus we have in our hotel rooms for our guests, to stay always on top with the technical equipment and installations.