In the green room at Phocuswright Europe with... Dirk Tietz

Dirk Tietz, chief digital & transformation officer, DER Touristik Group

Dirk Tietz has been DER Touristik’s chief digital and transformation officer since 2015, with responsibility for the company’s digital transformation, online sales and IT upgrades. At Phocuswright Europe 2019, he will participate in a discussion about how technology is transforming travel brands. 

In a series of interviews with executives participating at the event in Amsterdam in May, PhocusWire finds out what makes them tick...

What book do you recommend to others and why?

There are many great books. I recently came across The Business Model Navigator, which I think can be a very practical and useful book for founders and people who invent new business models.

What do you do to alleviate stress?

I try to be active and use my bicycle instead of my car. And I do a lot of sports, at the moment mostly at the gym.

Why isn't the travel startup survival rate higher than it is?

Because it needs a combination of great people, a great idea, discipline and luck. And simply because there is not enough space in the market for all startups to become big.

What do you like outside of work?

Traveling is my passion. Preferably individual, long-haul trips with a lot of cultural program.

What was your childhood aspiration?

My father was an entrepreneur, and I wanted to be one, too.

What travel industry development or brand do you wish you'd thought of first?

Booking.com. I think they took a simple idea and executed extremely well with a lot of courage.

What is your proudest professional achievement?

Building up a successful and scalable e-commerce department almost from scratch for TUI in Germany, and “surviving” nine years as consultant at McKinsey & Company.

What's your morning routine?

Early morning is not necessarily my preferred time of the day, so I try to be very efficient and minimize the time between getting up and being at work.

What would you tell your 20-year-old self?

Travel more! Because for some reason I didn’t travel too much during my time at university.

Describe your typical working environment.

Luckily, it varies a lot – from top management board meetings to startup-like environments.