Think Business With Jon Dwoskin

Mary D’Argenis-Fernandez grew up practically living in hotels. Her family spent their summers traveling and staying at different properties, sometimes for weeks on end. While their father worked, Mary and her sister, Katrina, would pass their time people-watching. “We would sit for hours in the lobby and watch the action around us,” says Mary. “We noticed how the staff greeted guests when they checked in and interacted with guests in general.” Her love of being immersed in the hotel industry was born from these annual trips, but her career in hospitality started when she was in high school working at Disney’s Magic Kingdom making ice cream cones. “I loved my job and the company,” she says. “I had fun every day. I laughed with my co-workers and had a blast.” Although Mary originally intended to pursue a law degree, she decided to follow the path she knew would make her happier and give her the most professional satisfaction. With that, Mary returned to the Walt Disney Company after graduate school where she