I dropped out of college to work at Trivago. Now I run the company.
Johannes Thomas’s journey from intern to CEO of Trivago is a compelling testament to the power of practical experience over formal education. Joining the company in 2011 as a six-month intern during his third year of university, Thomas quickly realized that the dynamic environment at Trivago offered more valuable learning opportunities than his economics and tourism degree could provide. With the company then comprising only about 50 employees, many of whom were also interns, Thomas was thrust into a position of significant responsibility, allowing him to explore various facets of the digital travel industry. This hands-on experience ignited his passion for performance marketing, leading him to transition from an intern to a full-time employee when offered a permanent position midway through his internship. Over the next fourteen years, Thomas would navigate several roles within the company, ultimately rising to the CEO position.
Thomas’s unconventional path highlights a broader trend in today’s job market, where skills and experience often outweigh formal qualifications. He emphasizes the importance of a candidate’s portfolio over their degree when hiring, reflecting a shift in hiring practices that favors demonstrable skills and real-world impact. His approach is not unique to him; three of Trivago’s four leaders began their careers as interns, illustrating a culture of growth and opportunity within the company. Thomas also notes that he has expanded Trivago’s internship program significantly since 2023, recognizing the value of nurturing talent from within. This commitment to fostering a learning environment has proven beneficial, particularly as the travel industry rebounds post-pandemic. After a challenging period during which Trivago lost 95% of its revenue, Thomas returned as CEO to lead the company through recovery, leveraging technology and a motivated team to stabilize and innovate. His story serves as an inspiration for young professionals and highlights the importance of adaptability, initiative, and continuous learning in achieving career success.
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Johannes Thomas went from intern to CEO of Trivago
Courtesy of Johannes Thomas
Johannes Thomas is the CEO of Trivago, a company he joined as an intern in 2011.
He realized he could learn more at the company than he could by completing his degree.
He prioritizes a candidate’s portfolio rather than their degree when hiring, he says.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with
Johannes Thomas
, CEO of
Trivago
. It has been edited for length and clarity.
In 2011, I took a
six-month internship
at Trivago. I was in my third year of university, nearing completion of a four-year degree in economics and tourism. I had started a digital travel company on the side, and I planned to learn from the internship and apply the new skills to my own company.
The internship came with a
steep learning curve
. Back then, the company had about 50 employees, many of whom were interns. I had a lot of responsibility and room to grow. Being at Trivago felt like playing in a crazy sandbox where I could try anything.
By the time the internship was halfway over, I knew I could learn more working than I ever could at university. When the company offered me a job, I decided to stay. Fourteen years later, I’m the CEO.
I rarely think about the fact that I don’t have a degree
I never had the expectation of following a
traditional career path
. My father was an entrepreneur who ran a tour company in Germany. I considered joining the family business, but I was interested in the digital side of tourism. Coming from an entrepreneurial family, I was taught to follow my curiosity.
Still, my mother wasn’t thrilled when I dropped out of school. She argued that I only had one more year, and I should just finish. I have no regrets about not getting my degree, however. I rarely think about it these days.
I changed jobs every 2 to 3 years to keep learning
My internship at Trivago was focused on
online marketing
in the UK. At the time, Google’s performance marketing was the new frontier. You couldn’t learn about it at school, because once a book was published, its information was outdated.
You had to learn by trying things out, which gave young people like me a real advantage. Since I was able to understand
performance marketing
, I was hired to handle global search engine marketing. I stayed in that role for three years before moving on to strategic projects.
I’ve changed
jobs at Trivago
every two to three years. I try to make myself obsolete within a team, and always move on to something that’s a new learning experience. Since my internship, I’ve held six different positions.
I left briefly during the pandemic, but returned as CEO
The pandemic, which hit when I was chief revenue officer, was a near-death experience for Trivago. We lost 95% of our revenue within a matter of weeks. No one knew when it would come back.
That’s when I stepped away from the company for the first time. I formed a startup with other Trivago folks. I’m still involved with that as an investor, but in 2023 I returned to Trivago as CEO.
When I came back, the team was very demoralized. As the leader, I needed to take decisive actions to stabilize the company and create success. Luckily, travel came back stronger than ever. Today, Trivago has about 600 employees (down from about 1,500 before the pandemic), but we’re able to make a great impact due to technology like AI.
I’m not the only former intern who’s leading the company
Three of the four leaders of Trivago started as interns, so my experience is not unique. We aim to be a company where people can grow long-term.
Trivago still has a strong internship program: in fact, I’ve about doubled the number of interns since 2023. It’s great for recruiting. When someone has a six-month internship, you really get to see whether they’re going to contribute to your team.
When I hire, I always ask people about their portfolio before I ask about their degree. A degree is important for getting into the workforce, but it becomes less important when you’re able to demonstrate the real impact you’ve had. I’ve been successful because I take initiative and execute ideas. That’s more important than any degree.
Read the original article on
Business Insider
