Hospitality Business Review: Specials Magazine

Stefanie Rothkirch is the Senior Manager of Strategic Procurement Travel at Lufthansa Group; she oversees procurement across Great Britain, Scandinavia, China, Korea and the Indian Ocean, ensuring strategic sourcing and operational efficiency. Since the beginning of her career in 1988, Rothkirch has held various roles in controlling, business analysis and procurement. She has managed procurement for aircraft interiors, hangar construction and hotel capacities, blending financial strategy, contract management and negotiation. In an interview with Hospitality Business Review, Rothkirch highlights her lifelong journey in the travel and aviation industry, the transformative role of data analytics in procurement, the value of regional market expertise and cultural understanding, the growing importance of sustainability and the key skills needed for success in the ever-evolving travel sector. A Lifelong Journey in Travel and Aviation I have worked in the travel industry since 1988, but my connection to travel and aviation goes back much further. It all started in 1967 when my father was part of the Lufthansa team developing the iconic 747 in Everett, America. Some of my earliest memories are tied to aviation—I even flew back to Frankfurt on the first 747 when it was delivered. From that moment on, I knew there was nowhere else I wanted to be but in the airline industry. Starting as a maintenance department secretary, I quickly realised I wanted to take over broader tasks with more scope of design. So, I pursued a master’s degree in business administration. After earning my MBA, I moved through various business roles before discovering my true calling in procurement. It’s a fascinating mix of psychology, legal expertise, financial know-how and negotiation skills that drew me in

High-end hospitality projects increasingly demand bespoke furniture tailored to a single environment, with many pieces designed as one-of-a-kind creations. The true test of bespoke work begins after installation, when furniture must withstand constant daily use. SNS Group operates where design ambition aligns with operational certainty, delivering bespoke furniture for luxury hotels and cruise ships with continuous oversight from design development through final installation. The focus remains on disciplined execution and accountability, ensuring each piece performs reliably in daily use. Each engagement begins in close collaboration with designers, where a shared creative vision shapes furniture developed exclusively for specific environments. Concepts are explored without predefined limitations, shaping design through bespoke execution. Interiors are shaped through materials, proportions, and craftsmanship developed specifically for each space rather than repeated elsewhere. “Our craftsmanship is proven through dozens of five-star and hotel and luxury cruise projects delivered worldwide, where precision, material quality and attention to detail are non-negotiable,” says Mirko Habek, CEO. Creative freedom is sustained through end-to-end responsibility across design development, production and delivery. Full process control preserves design integrity and keeps execution aligned with intent, resulting in furniture defined by originality and durability engineered for continuous daily operation within demanding hospitality environments..

Why is immediate integration critical in seasonal hospitality environments? Hotels, restaurants, and catering venues across the French Riviera operate within highly seasonal cycles and major international events, creating ongoing strain on internal teams. Reinforcement is often necessary, yet operational stability depends less on headcount than on mastery of the working environment. When interim professionals fail to align with brigade codes, service rhythm and established authority lines, cohesion breaks down at critical moments. With no time to correct misalignment, immediate integration becomes essential to preserve service continuity. Victory Interim eliminates this risk by deploying experienced hospitality professionals trained in the codes of French art de vivre, with on-site operational supervision embedded from the start. Drawn from luxury environments, these professionals integrate directly into kitchen brigades and front-of-house teams without disrupting established dynamics and operate within a clearly defined chain of responsibility. “We treat staffing as reputation guardianship,” says Jean-Carmona Carmona, CEO. “Each interim professional acts as an extension of the client team, ensuring service continuity and upholding standards under pressure.” That principle is implemented through a structured dual supervision model. Interim professionals are fully integrated into client teams while remaining accountable to Victory Interim supervisors on-site. Supervisors act as an operational buffer, overseeing attendance, discipline and service tempo, absorbing last-minute changes before they reach permanent teams. The result is a human-led approach that preserves continuity, upholds service discipline and safeguards brand reputation during periods of peak demand. Professionals are selected for personality, posture and mindset, not just résumés, ensuring cultural alignment that technology alone cannot replicate..