Interview
Marina Riedy
From her early days at the École Hôtelière de Genève to her current role as Sales Manager at the Mövenpick Hotel Geneva and Lausanne, Marina has charted a course marked by rigor, passion and attention to detail. Between governance, events and sales, in this interview she shares the lessons she has learned, her vision of tailor-made hospitality and her advice to future hotel professionals.
Marina, could you tell us a little about your time at the École Hôtelière de Genève and how it prepared you for your career in the hotel business?
I took a three-year full-time course at the École Hôtelière de Genève. What’s special about this course is that it combines a solid academic component with practical experience, since half of the curriculum is devoted to three six-month internships. This enabled me to finish the school with both theoretical and practical experience.
The training covers all sectors of the hotel and restaurant industry, as well as the management of an establishment. I took courses covering operational departments such as reception, service and kitchen, as well as more functional courses such as human resources, financial management and law. This complementarity prepared me perfectly for my career in the hotel industry.
What were the main challenges and lessons learned from your early experiences in the hotel industry, notably as an events intern at the Hôpital fribourgeois and as an assistant housekeeper at MGallery Hotel Collection?
During my internship at Rotary, MGallery Hotel Collection, I had a real experience of empowerment. I supported the chambermaids in their work, assigning them a daily schedule, checking rooms before they were put back on sale and, if necessary, asking them to go over certain rooms again to ensure compliance with the establishment’s standards. I had to find the right balance between firmness and benevolence, developing a bond of trust with experienced employees, often much older than myself. This exercise enabled me to strengthen my attention to detail and my team-building skills.
At Hôpital Fribourgeois, my previous experience helped me a lot, as I also had to work with experienced female employees whom we had to support and train, in particular for the opening of a kiosk and the use of new ordering software. I also had the opportunity to support my manager in the training of two CFC catering apprentices, by running practical sessions such as the art of setting a table and a wine and cheese pairing course, using the knowledge acquired at the EHG. Finally, in the events department, I was able to manage events from A to Z, from order taking to invoicing, which gave me a complete overview of the process and taught me a great deal.
These experiences have been particularly formative, enabling me to develop both my technical skills and my attention to detail, as well as my managerial skills.
How did you make the transition to sales and marketing roles at Hotel Bristol Genève, and what motivated you to follow this path?
I joined Hôtel Bristol Genève as an intern during my six-month course at EHG. This immersion experience gave me a hands-on insight into a hotel’s sales and marketing levers, from segment analysis to the implementation of marketing tools. At the end of the internship, I was hired on an open-ended contract, which confirmed my career choice. I realized that I was particularly motivated by customer contact and sales.
As Sales Manager at Movenpick Hotel Geneva, what are your main responsibilities and how has your previous experience helped you excel in this role?
My experience at Le Bristol has taught me to manage international RFPs via Lanyon, to cultivate a resolutely customer satisfaction-oriented approach, and to communicate effectively, both through targeted newsletters and during visits and presentations of our spaces.
At Mövenpick Hotel Geneva, my main mission is to develop a multi-segment customer portfolio. I’m responsible for the Corporate, MICE, Group Business, Airline and Government markets. This involves proactive account management, local and international prospecting through sales calls, field appointments and business trips, as well as the preparation of tailor-made offers in coordination with revenue management and operations. In a highly competitive airport zone, our difference also lies in the quality of the relationship we create with our customers.
Initially recruited as a Junior Sales Manager, I quickly progressed to Sales Manager and was appointed employee for the Autumn 2024 season. After a year and a half, management gave me responsibility for marketing a second establishment, the Mövenpick Hôtel Lausanne, which strengthened my multi-hotel vision and enabled me to develop my sense of priorities.
What part of your work inspires you most each day, and how does this inspiration influence your decisions and leadership?
What inspires me every day is the challenge of managing two establishments with very different dynamics, while remaining results-oriented. In Lausanne, the hotel benefits from its lakeside location and MICE and corporate clientele. In Geneva, we’re close to the airport, with different customer expectations and intense competition.
The segments are not the same. This variety stimulates me and forces me to define differentiated strategies for each hotel, and to adapt my sales approach and priorities. I make decisions in agreement with management, based on data and the reality of each market. My role is stimulated by the results expected from these two establishments.
What important lessons have you learned over the course of your career that could benefit those just starting out in the hospitality industry?
Three lessons are essential to get you off to a good start.
The first is knowing how to prioritize and set limits. When you’re just starting out in your career, you can risk taking on everything you’re asked to do to demonstrate your motivation. You have to learn to classify your tasks and know what is achievable, clarify the scope of your role, negotiate realistic deadlines and propose alternatives when the request is out of line or puts quality at risk.
The second is to think in terms of market and context. Every negotiation is based on a set of factors. The relationship, the market, the right price, the situation, the product we’re selling and the operations. A single lever is not enough. You have to be able to step back, read the situation and build a global proposal that responds to the customer’s priorities. In sales, you have to enjoy tailoring your contact to each individual’s personality. Some customers appreciate a very personal exchange. Others prefer to remain more reserved, while maintaining a high level of professionalism.
Thirdly, in sales too, we have to accept that our work can sometimes lead to failure. Not every negotiation leads to a contract, and not every contact leads to a conversion. It’s essential to remain solid in the face of the energy invested in these processes, when they don’t come to fruition, and then to learn from them to adjust our actions.
How do you see your career developing over the next few years? Is there a particular dream you'd like to realize?
In the short term, I’d like to consolidate my experience in sales, whether in the hotel industry or another sector. In the medium term, I’m particularly motivated by the prospect of becoming a Sales Director, with more strategic and managerial responsibilities. In the longer term, I’d love to pass on my knowledge by teaching at EHG.
If you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be and why?
My advice would be to adopt a natural approach in dealing with colleagues and customers. Striving for perfection is not always the best approach.
To conclude this interview: what advice would you give to students starting out in the hospitality industry to help them stand out in their first jobs?
My advice is to carefully choose the last internship or the first job in the segment that really appeals to you. You can quickly be categorized according to your most recent experience. It then becomes difficult to move into another segment. Start your career in the field that motivates you.
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