Meet Emanuele Cosomati

At Apaleo, we believe that great companies are built by people with unique stories and perspectives. Our team inspires us every day, and we want to share some of these personal journeys with you.

Today, we’re introducing Emanuele Cosomati, Senior Account Executive at Apaleo. His path shows how a passion for hospitality, a curiosity for technology, and openness to new opportunities can come together to create an impressive career. After studying Business Administration in Munich and completing a Master’s in Hospitality Management, his journey took him through international sales roles and hotel management positions before leading him into the world of hotel software.

How did you get into hospitality?

In a way, I ended up in hospitality by accident. After finishing school, I studied Business Administration in Munich, with a focus on chemistry and marketing, which had nothing to do with hotels at first. During my studies, I worked in consulting but quickly realized that it wasn’t the right fit for me.

With my language skills and the desire to try something new, I decided to pursue a Master’s in Hospitality Management. Immediately after that, I joined Living Hotels in Munich and started in the sales department, without ever having worked at a reception or used a PMS before. Looking back, it was an unusual entry point, but that’s exactly what I enjoyed. I could use my business experience, question existing processes, try new approaches, and at the same time get to know hospitality from the inside.

What led you from Sales to working as a hotelier?

After two years in Munich, my wife and I felt it was time for a new challenge beyond Germany. Because of the financial crisis in Europe, the search was challenging, as the economy in many southern countries was quite unstable. Neither of us had ever been to Switzerland before, but the location, economic stability, and the variety of activities convinced us. I accepted a job in Lucerne, the city soon felt too small, so we decided to move to Zurich.

During my time at Hilton in Zurich, I had the privilege of working very closely with the General Manager. Being so closely involved showed me, what it really means to run a hotel, and I realized that this could be the next step for my career.

I then had the opportunity to manage a small privately run hotel near Zurich. The work was intense, especially during Covid, when the hotel was completely empty and I had to make operational decisions on my own. It was a strange feeling work in an empty hotel, but at the same time I gained a lot of valuable experience from those challenges. I learned more about leadership, operations, and teamwork.

How did you move from hospitality into the tech world?

The tech infrastructure in the hotel frustrated for quite some time. I wanted a tech stack that actually worked seamlessly and supported daily operations. During Covid I finally had the chance to dive deeper into the topic. I tested different systems and implemented the switch to Apaleo on my own. That process showed me how much I enjoy working with tech and how exciting it is to digitaize hotels. It was the perfect experience and laid the foundation for entering the hotel tech world, and eventually for my path at Apaleo

How did you join Apaleo, and how does your hospitality background help you in your current role?

After my time as a General Manager, I joined SALTO Systems and gained my first experience experience in the tech industry. Since I had already implemented Apaleo myself, I knew a few people from the team. Later on, Florian, VP of Business Development, reached out and invited me to join his team. It was the perfect fit. Now I can combine my experience from sales, hotel management, and operations while nurturing my passion for technology. Today, my hospitality background helps me immensely. I understand hotel operations, the daily challenges, and what it really means to implement new systems. This makes it easier for me to develop practical solutions and support hotels effectively during their digital transformation.

How do you balance family and work?

In the past, I was constantly on the move in the hotel, always close to the action and surrounded by people. Today, remote work gives me a lot of flexibility, allowing me to be there for my kids while still pushing my projects forward. Of course, I sometimes miss the spontaneous conversations with colleagues in the office.

How do you spend your time outside of work?

My main focus outside of work is to be a good father. It’s incredibly rewarding to watch my children grow up and spend time with them. I also try to stay active, I used to do martial arts, but now it’s mostly running and fitness. Aside from that I have a big passion for food and travel. On every trip, the first thing we do is look for great restaurants, and we love trying local specialties.