Verena Dollberg, Consultant Corporate Strategy, Fraport

In order to help current students and recent graduates to find their way in the working world, many of our alumni shared their career story. Here the story of Verena Dollberg, Consultant Corporate Strategy for Fraport in Frankfurt (D). USI Degree: Master in International Tourism, 2011.

How did you start and choose a career in Fraport?

I have always been fascinated by airports. For me, an airport is a unique microcosm. A place that brings people together, a place that connects the world. I started at Fraport as trainee. This gave me the chance to get to know different departments and even spend some time in one of our subsidiaries abroad.

What is your current role/duties?

Nowadays, I work in cooperate strategy as consultant. I am managing strategic projects, prepare benchmarks for our management, and take care of the implementation of our corporate vision within the whole group. One of my biggest projects right now is the promotion of Frankfurt Airport’s future T3 which is currently being built. With Covid-19, this project has for sure gotten more challenging but even more exciting to participate in.

What positive aspects and qualities meant most to you during the study programme you attended?

I chose the Master in International Tourism because of its interdisciplinary approach and for its practice-orientated courses and I wasn’t disappointed. At USI, I enjoyed the modern infrastructure and the internationality of the students. And last but not least – the location. Where else can you go to have a swim between classes in a lake with such an amazing scenery?

What competences and/or skills acquired in your USI Study Program have been useful/are useful to your professional career?

With USI being so international, I learned to work with people with various cultural backgrounds and different ways how to approach things. While managing interdivisional projects, this helps a lot. Moreover, in the many project works we did, I definitely improved my project management skills.

What is your advice to USI students entering the job market?

Search for a job you like but do not only choose for the content of your job but also for the people that work there. I was once told that it depends on three things whether you enjoy your work: Your actual tasks, your boss and your colleagues – all counting equally. You can compensate for one field not being as you wish but not more.