Alex Berstein is the CEO of designer furniture brand Rooem. Following his success in the Business Worldwide CEO Awards, here we find out more about his career to date, approach to leadership and opinions on how businesses can survive the toughest of times.
Munich based Rooem is one of the most exciting and sought-after furniture brands in Europe. Its range of contemporary, industrial clothing rails and shelving units is both edgy and homely, and its rapidly expanding Instagram following is testament to the brand’s appeal. Already Rooem has over 18k followers, and that figure is growing by the day.
Alex Berstein took the helm as Rooem’s CEO in 2021, and despite the global pandemic he’s led the company to great heights. The prolific entrepreneur, investor and lawyer has an impressive career history, having worked with everyone from big name brands to Members of the European Parliament.
He studied at the University of Bonn before moving on to Law at the Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, where he gained a Master’s Degree. He later went on to develop his business knowledge with an MBA from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. He cut his teeth in the legal world by working as Legal Counsel to an MEP between 2005 and 2006, and since then he’s taken on a range of legal roles for illustrious companies, including Wells Fargo, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP and Teradata.
Angel Investor and Entrepreneur
Alex has been an angel investor since 2019, playing a pivotal role in bringing new ideas to market. His partnerships so far include Esportido, an app that brings sports clubs together with fans and sponsorship opportunities; real estate company COLIVIA, and Wallfair, a social event trading platform that decentralizes the betting, gaming and gambling industry. He’s also Head of Compliance at Pink.gg, a tech company working in the NFT space and CEO of leading fintech platform Sperium Finance.
His LinkedIn page is full of praise from colleagues and business partners who have benefited from his vast business experience, legal knowledge and entrepreneurialism. Alex is clearly a visionary with a willingness to work hard to reap exceptional results, taking the time to get to know his business partners and understand their dreams for the future. His vast networks have proven to be an invaluable resource for those he chooses to work with, to whom he’s a trusted mentor, advisor and team player.
Rooem: The Favourite Furniture Brand For Fashionable Millennials and Generation Z
Rooem has gained a loyal following of fashionable European Millennials and Gen Z customers, although its styles are popular with style conscious people of all ages. The interiors company offers a full range of design, build and delivery services under one roof and its products are available to both business customers and individuals. Their smart solutions are great for those who need to make efficient use of space, and products such as TABLEBED have been innovatively designed to be multifunctional.
Like its customer base, Rooem’s family of cleverly designed storage space is constantly growing and evolving. These scalable solutions allow people to take control of their own spaces, whether at work or in the office. Featuring simple designs and high-quality materials, they’re flexible and robust, and are becoming a must-have for lovers of cool, industrial, sustainable designs. Rooem also has its own range of coffee too, presented in contemporary, stylish packaging.
Thriving Despite Global Uncertainty
The past couple of years have been notoriously difficult for people all over the world, both on a personal and business level. But Rooem has continued to flourish. Its impressive online store delivers to customers in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, Belgium, Italy Luxembourg, Netherlands and Poland. Those from further afield who want to experience Rooem’s modular designs for themselves can purchase from the company’s Esty shop.
Speaking to Business Worldwide Magazine, Alex explained how he’s managed to create a positive turnaround for his brand and its products despite the global economy taking a downturn:
“In my opinion, problems can be resolved by being honest with customers and staff. At the same time, it’s important to keep things light as much as possible and be able to laugh at yourself.
We’re often taught that business has to be serious, and that humour is frowned upon in a professional environment. Some people believe that the only way to impress investors and stay ahead of the competition is by being consistently earnest and straight faced, but I disagree. For example, as a lawyer, I often quote this joke: “What’s the difference between a lawyer and a tick? A tick lets go of the victim when it’s dead.”
The ability to laugh at yourself and your situation makes it more bearable – both to yourself and those around you – and creates a sense of being “in the same boat”. This allows people to see each other as humans and operate independently from the industry they work in, to an extent.”
To find out more about Rooem’s products, visit the company’s website at https://rooem.com/