Employee Spotlight: A True Love Affair

There is nothing better than an employee who is committed to client satisfaction, possesses strong leadership skills, takes initiative, pays attention to detail, and follows through on her word. Ginenne Rothlisberger, a Sr. Program Manager on the Global Operations Team, possesses all of these characteristics and more! She is someone who glides through challenges with grace, positivity, and calm to find solutions.  

M&IW loves Ginenne and Ginenne loves M&IW

Ginenne values M&IW’s strong family values and strives to be a cutting-edge leader in the industry. When asked why she has been with M&IW for the last 8 years, Ginenne replied, “M&IW cares for their employees and understands the work-life balance. It is the cornerstone of any long-lasting and strong relationship.” Continue to read to learn more about this enduring story… 

Q. Working at, on or supporting an event, what’s the best event you’ve ever been to?

In 2012 at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas Texas, I managed a large National Sales Meeting. President George W. Bush was our guest speaker. It was an honor to meet the President and it was a great experience to work with the United States Secret Service. While President Bush was on stage, the power went out in the ballroom. Within a split second, my heart sunk as the Secret Service got into position and the generators started up immediately. Having generators was a decision we made during the setup and one I will always remember for future programs. 

Q. What’s the most interesting destination you’ve had a program at and why?

I managed a program at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. I was in Centennial Olympic Park when the bombing took place. The games moved on and throughout the following week the downtown area hotels continued to receive bomb threats and multiple evacuations occurred. Even though devastation took place, the Centennial Olympic Park was a very interesting place to be during my time spent there. The park is surrounded by many Atlanta landmarks and contains the Fountain of Rings, an interactive fountain with computer-controlled lights and water synchronized to music which has now been replicated in other cities. We spent a lot of time at the park and it was interesting to interact with so many visitors from all over the world in one place.  

Q. Before working at M&IW, what was the most unusual or interesting job you’ve ever had? 

Through high school and college, I worked as a waitress at Bob Evans and Applebee’s. I truly believe this time of my life taught me so many life skills that have molded me into the person I am today. Not only did it teach me strong communication, multitasking, working swiftly, dealing with the public, but also the physical demands, working long hours on your feet, and understanding the value of a dollar. I thank my parents for introducing me to this interesting job experience.  

Q. What would you like to tell yourself at age 13?

Live in the moment, spend time with family/friends, forgive and forget, life is too short! 

Q. Working at, on or supporting an event, what is a unique experience you’ve had?  

I was in Maui and Fran Tarkenton was our guest speaker during the Superbowl. Coincidentally, he was heading back to my hometown of Cleveland, Ohio the next week to speak at a meeting my dad was attending. My dad brought a picture of Fran and I that I had taken in Maui. Fran looked at it and said with a smile, “I was just with Ginenne last week!” 

Thank you Ginenne for your candid conversation and for all you do as an M&IW Hospitality Hero. Information about M&IW careers can be found on our careers page.