Meet Majorel: The frontlines of global expansion

Here at Majorel, we know our people are the heart of our business. Every quarter, we take some time to sit down with a member of our team who exemplifies the company’s values to learn more about their job, their department, their background, and what makes them tick.

Today, we’re speaking with Joss Dohrenbusch, Majorel’s Director of International Expansion. Since joining Majorel as a management associate in 2014, Joss has become an integral part of the company’s rapid expansion around the globe, throwing himself into whatever assignment has arisen along the way with gusto.

Morning! Can you introduce yourself?

I’m Joss, and I’ve been Majorel’s director of international expansion with a strong focus on Eastern Europe since 2019. I started my career at Majorel in Essen, Germany, in 2014 and was focused on domestic projects. In 2016, I had the chance to help open the company’s first office in Tbilisi, Georgia, and I haven’t looked back. I’ve lived all over the world, but Germany is my home base, and it’s where my family is from.

You say you’ve lived all over the world? Where have you lived?

Well, living in other countries is part of the job description to some extent—but I also had an international upbringing. My father was a journalist who worked in various countries, I was born in Kenya, Nairobi and lived a good portion of my life there. I also studied in the Netherlands and did an exchange in Brazil.

With Majorel, I’ve had the opportunity to expand my list of hometowns. So far, I’ve helped open centers in Tbilisi, Skopje, Thessaloniki, and Yerevan in addition to returning to Nairobi. The traveling and cultural immersion are really what drew me to the role I have now. I’ve always loved discovering new places and new cultures, and now I get to do it as my career. It’s awesome, to tell you the truth.

That’s amazing. Can you tell us a little more about what you do for Majorel?

At this point, my main goal is researching and scouting new locations for Majorel and our global clients. This can vary from expansion in a country in which we already operate to establishing a footprint in a new area altogether. My team and I also have responsibility in setting up the operations in that new office once the expansion plans move forward.

It’s important to us that we have a robust presence all over the globe, and it’s my job to push that forward. Each new international center allows us to be that much more prepared to support clients’ language and operational needs, whatever they may be.

Do you have any routines to help you stay focused and consistent while you’re traveling?

Yeah, I do actually! I make sure to start my days with a good cup of tea, a solid breakfast, and some time with the news—reading, not watching. Since my dad was a journalist, I’m a bit of a news junkie.

What do you find most exciting about your job?

The travel is great—it’s obviously a huge draw for me—but, really, I find the opportunity to start something from scratch and see it developing to be the most meaningful and exciting aspect of the role. And that’s true on both the individual, community, and global levels.

Majorel’s Tbilisi office was my first expansion assignment. When I started that project, there was no one working for the company in the region. Now, we have over 3,000 team members across three cities in Georgia. Many of our people have been on board since the very beginning, building a corporate culture and a thriving workplace that reflects the local community as much as it does Majorel’s overarching values. It’s really incredible to know I was involved in building that and had the chance to experience such an amazing culture and country.

What do you find exciting when you’re not working? Favorite hobbies?

As I said, I do my best to stay on top of what’s going on around the world. As a bonus, it helps inspire me to pursue new cities and regions for Majorel! I also love football. I like to go out to watch my local team, Fortuna Düsseldorf, play. It’s one of my favorite ways to connect with friends and family.

What is your definition of success when considering Majorel’s expansion efforts?

Commercial and financial success are always on my mind. Without that, we can’t execute on any of our other goals. But after commercial and financial success, my definition of a successful expansion project centers on how Majorel’s presence supports the community in which we are operating.

When we come into a new area, we’re asking a city to take us in. Perhaps the most important aspects I consider when expanding is whether our presence will be well-received, how we support the local community, and how we can contribute to the local economy in a positive way. For me, success means providing new opportunities to the people in these areas while honoring the unique demands of the particular region and meeting our clients’ needs.

Our Global Impact Sourcing initiative is another way that we seek to provide opportunities to the local communities, especially for those with limited prospects for sustainable employment. This is one of the ways we aim to make a positive social impact. I take the company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion seriously—no matter where in the world we are setting up shop.

Can you give us a sneak peek into what’s next for Majorel’s international centers?

With COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine, traveling throughout Europe over the past few years has been a bit of a challenge. However, I’m back on the road, so there are some projects in the works. Unfortunately, nothing ready for a sneak peek yet.

To learn more about Majorel’s international footprint, visit majorel.com/how-we-can-help/delivery. To keep up with Joss’ work and travels, you can follow him on LinkedIn.

Keep an eye out for the next installment of our Meet Majorel series where we’ll get to know another Majorel team member!