Bernhard Dollensky has been Chief Operating Officer (COO) at IMC Krems since September 2024. In this interview, he talks about his professional career, his plans for our university and his personal motivation.
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Education as a meaningful task
Professional and personal background
I was born in Krems and spent the first five years of my life in the city. My family then moved to Droß, where I enjoyed a wonderful childhood and youth in the countryside. I finally returned to Krems with my current wife and now live in Krems-Gneixendorf with our two children.
After my part-time bachelor degree in Export-oriented Management at IMC Krems (now International Business Management) and the subsequent full-time master degree in the same field, my career took me to Vienna for seven years. As a generalist at the Wienerberger building materials group, the world's largest brick producer, I was able to manage a wide variety of projects, from innovation management to CRM rollout.
After this instructive phase, I was able to roll out a CRM system in around 40 countries at the then ERBER Group, the global market leader in mycotoxin deactivation in animal feed. Following the sale of the ERBER Group to the listed company Royal DSM (now DSM-Firmenich), I managed the integration of commercial processes into the Animal Nutrition & Health division. I then expanded the e-commerce business for DSM Animal Nutrition & Health as Global E-Commerce Lead and was responsible for the e-commerce platform of all divisions of the Group as Product Owner.
This was followed by a short stint as Head of Product Management at an infrastructure company before I moved back to e-commerce as Head of Platform Development at Verkehrsbüro (Travel Division).
During these years, I was also able to continue my professional development, from an MBA in General Management to various courses in leadership, strategy, project and process management.
Tasks and plans as Chief Operating Officer
As COO and authorised signatory, I am part of the university management and am responsible for a wide range of tasks. My aim is to ensure that our core processes of teaching and research are provided with the necessary infrastructure and that study operations are carried out efficiently and sustainably. My area of responsibility includes Study Services, IT Services, Facility Services, Career Services and Teaching & Media Services. I am also responsible for business partners and alumni on behalf of the university management.
My vision for IMC Krems is for the university to become even more efficient, digital, innovative and international and to retain its brand essence as the university with the most satisfied students. The student experience should become even more of a focus. We will utilise the constantly growing alumni network and partnerships in business and research for the further development of teaching and research.
Working at IMC Krems
As a proud graduate and Krems resident, I am very happy to have found my professional home here. Campus Krems has always been an energising place for me. After the first few weeks in my new position, I can feel this energy, the professional and academic excellence and the constant willingness to change among all my colleagues. Being able to incorporate this motivation into new projects and process changes on a daily basis and ultimately serve education, i.e. the future of young people, makes my job an honourable task with a social impact.
Personal inspiration and motivation
What inspires me most is that you can start afresh every day and actively drive change with commitment and, above all, with competent teams. As a father and as a manager, you have a huge influence on your fellow human beings. This responsibility is a great motivating factor for me and the approach that you can continuously improve. This also means that you have to take calculated risks and accept possible mistakes for the sake of the bigger picture.
Balance to work
The balance to my work is my family. I try to spend as much time as possible with my children and explore the world together on trips and holidays. I also enjoy being out in the countryside, spending time on my bike or, more recently, playing tennis. I also like to withdraw completely and enjoy a good book in the countryside or in a cosy place.
Special journeys
There have been many wonderful trips, but one in particular sticks in my mind. After I was able to spend my exchange semester in Minnesota (MSU) and my wife and I explored the east coast afterwards, a road trip took us to the west coast of the USA years later. I will never forget this feeling of freedom, carefreeness, joy and a spirit of optimism.