Born in Munich, Germany, Dominik Wellmann ’98 is truly a global citizen. He spent most of his life in the UK, and has worked over the last 20 years in England, Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Initially recruited by a former colleague for a three-month assignment to integrate two competing London-based, on-demand laundry service businesses, Zipjet and Laundrapp, Wellmann is still there, nine months later.
“I have a very low threshold for boredom, and need a steep learning curve,” says Wellmann, Laundrapp’s Interim Chief Executive Officer and permanent Chief Operating Officer, of his career moves. Laundrapp’s customers tend to be young professionals in their mid-30s who want the convenience and ease of access of arranging laundry pick-up and delivery via a phone app, says Wellmann. In the future, he envisions that the privately held company, with approximately 80 employees, may become “vertically integrated with another laundry provider or part of a larger service platform, almost like Amazon for services.”
Wellmann openly shares his experience and wisdom with International Business and Sophomore International Experience (SIE) students at Bryant. These programs, he says, give students a strong foundation. “The controlled academic environment allows students to make mistakes, and no one will lose a job,” he adds.
“Sometimes it’s about being in the right place at the right time… networking skill combined with good, old-fashioned luck.”
Listening is the most important skill in early career years, according to Wellmann. Later, young professionals should seek the most successful and respected individuals as mentors before finding and mentoring junior people with real potential.
After being faced with the unenviable task of cutting 300 jobs in a previous position, he understands all too well that being responsible for, and accountable to, employees is critical. “As a business leader, you must have a good grounding, but you can’t be an expert in all skill sets,” says Wellmann, whose own grounding is in logistics, technology, and sales/marketing. “When you appoint a leadership team… you want those people to be much smarter than you are.”
Where will he be in five years? “Whatever happens next, happens next… business leaders must accept that,” says Wellmann, sanguine about his future. “Sometimes it’s about being in the right place at the right time… networking skill combined with good, old-fashioned luck.”
Not only did Wellmann appreciate the low faculty-to-student ratio and solid business courses Bryant offered, he made lifelong friends there, including Kevin Buonagurio ’99, now FiLMiC’s chief operating officer, and Robert Blain ’99. As an undergraduate, Blain invited Wellmann, who couldn’t go back to the UK for such a brief holiday, to join his family in Connecticut at Thanksgiving – a tradition they continue to this day.
Wellmann shepherds the London Regional Alumni Network and organizes events for local and visiting alumni, students, and parents.
