Welcome back to another #CSIPlus Meet the Member Interview. Today we are joined by Aleksandar Djulcic, Key Account Manager at Franke Coffee Systems!
What do you do at your company and in what circumstances would I come to you for something?
“As a Global Key Account Manager at Franke Coffee Systems, I help international customers deliver exceptional coffee experiences across hospitality, foodservice, workplace, and travel sectors. My focus is on business development, strategic partnerships, and supporting complex global projects.
I’m particularly passionate about expanding Franke’s presence in the cruise line industry and enjoy connecting with cruise operators, shipyards, consultants, and hospitality professionals. If you’re looking for innovative coffee solutions, global project support, or a partner who understands international service and operational requirements, I’d be happy to connect.”
What’s the biggest misconception people have about your position?
“Many people think a Key Account Manager’s job is simply to sell products. In reality, I’m more of a connector and problem solver. I spend a lot of time understanding customers’ business needs, coordinating international stakeholders, and making sure projects are successfully implemented from concept to operation.
Particularly in the cruise industry, where we’re expanding our presence, it’s about building partnerships, managing complexity, and creating long-term value rather than just closing a deal.”
Does your company have any upcoming projects that you can talk about?
“Yes. This year, Franke Coffee Systems introduced the new A600 and A800, further strengthening our portfolio of fully automatic coffee machines. These launches reflect our continued focus on innovation, quality, and delivering outstanding coffee experiences.
At the same time, we’re actively expanding our presence in strategic growth segments, including the cruise industry, where we’re working to build new partnerships and bring premium coffee solutions to operators around the world.”
What has been your favourite project to work on?
“My favourite project has been working with a major cruise operator to organize and coordinate their annual fleet maintenance program. It required close cooperation with service partners, careful planning around ship schedules, and a lot of international coordination.
I particularly enjoyed it because it went far beyond selling equipment. It was about ensuring reliability, minimizing downtime, and supporting a world-class guest experience. Projects like these are one of the reasons why I am passionate about the cruise industry and its unique operational challenges.”
What behaviour or personality trait do you most attribute your success to, and why?
“The personality trait I most attribute my success to is relationship building. I enjoy connecting with people from different backgrounds, understanding their needs, and creating partnerships based on trust.
In my role, especially when working on global accounts and within the cruise industry, long-term relationships are often more important than short-term results. Taking the time to listen, understand operational challenges, and consistently deliver on commitments has helped me build strong partnerships and achieve sustainable success.”
Could you share the most significant obstacle you have faced in your career so far, particularly in cruise work? Or, have you ever encountered any problems in cruise work that required you to learn a new skill set?
“One of the biggest learning experiences in my career was working on service planning for a major cruise fleet. The challenge was not the equipment itself, but managing the complexity of a business that is constantly moving across borders.
I had to learn how to coordinate multiple service partners, understand vessel deployment schedules, and align maintenance activities with very limited service opportunities in certain ports. It strengthened my project management skills and taught me the importance of proactive communication and contingency planning.
This experience is one of the reasons why I enjoy working with cruise operators. The industry is highly dynamic, and every project requires a combination of strategic planning, relationship building, and operational problem-solving.”
What inspired you to pursue this field of work?
“Honestly, I didn’t plan to end up in the cruise industry. During a discussion within our Key Account Management team, we talked about growth opportunities and someone asked who would like to take ownership of the cruise segment. My first thought was, “That sounds really exciting.”
I’ve always enjoyed travelling and working with people from different countries and cultures, so the international nature of the cruise business immediately appealed to me. The more I learned about the industry, the more fascinated I became by its complexity and the incredible attention to detail required to keep everything running smoothly.
Today, it’s one of the areas I am most passionate about. It combines hospitality, global business, relationship building, and problem-solving in a way that really matches my personality and professional interests.”
What’s one thing most people don’t know about you?
“Most people know me as someone who travels a lot for work, but what they may not know is that I genuinely love it. I enjoy meeting people from different cultures and speaking different languages. I speak German, English, Serbian, and Spanish, and I can also understand quite a bit of French.
When I’m not working, you’ll usually find me doing some kind of sport. I’m a big fan of ball sports in general, and I also practice boxing. It’s a great way to stay disciplined, clear my mind, and maintain a healthy balance between work and personal life.”
What are the most significant changes you have seen in the Cruise Interior sector since you started, and what emerging trends do you foresee shaping its future?
“One of the biggest changes I’ve observed is the increasing focus on the overall guest experience. Cruise operators are no longer just competing on destinations and onboard entertainment; they are competing on every detail of the guest journey, including food and beverage quality.
Following the pandemic, I noticed a significant shift in guest expectations. Guests became more conscious about quality, choice, and personalization. In the coffee category, this translated into a growing demand for premium beverages, specialty coffee concepts, and a café-style experience onboard rather than simply offering a standard cup of coffee.
Looking ahead, I believe personalization and beverage innovation will continue to shape the industry. We’re already seeing strong growth in trends such as iced coffee, matcha-based beverages, premium decaf coffee, and milk alternatives like oat, almond, and soy drinks. Many guests now expect the same variety and quality at sea that they enjoy in their favourite cafés on land.
At the same time, sustainability, technology, and operational efficiency will become even more important. Cruise operators are looking for solutions that not only elevate the guest experience but also support consistency, reliability, and efficiency across their fleets.
What excites me most is how quickly the cruise industry adapts to changing consumer preferences. The operators that successfully combine premium experiences with operational excellence will be best positioned for the future.”
Do you have a fun-fact or piece of advice about your company/industry that you can share?
“One thing I’ve learned is that coffee trends on land eventually find their way onboard. A few years ago, few people were talking about oat milk, matcha, iced coffee, or premium decaf. Today, guests increasingly expect these options wherever they travel, including on cruise ships.
My advice: always keep an eye on changing consumer preferences. What starts as a niche trend today often becomes a standard expectation tomorrow.”
Do you specialise in a particular type of product? What makes it different to competitors?
“My specialization is helping customers create premium coffee experiences in high-volume environments. What I find most exciting is that we’re no longer just talking about coffee machines, but about the entire guest experience.
What differentiates Franke is our focus on innovation, beverage quality, and flexibility. Whether it’s specialty coffee, oat milk drinks, iced coffee creations, or premium decaf options, we help customers offer the variety that modern consumers expect while maintaining operational excellence.
Especially in the cruise industry, where guest expectations are constantly rising, that combination of premium experience, consistency, and reliable service can make a real difference.”
If you could recommend only one of your products, what would it be?
“Without hesitation, I would choose the new Franke A800.
It reflects many of the trends shaping our industry today: premium coffee experiences, personalization, milk alternatives, iced coffee creations, and operational excellence.
What I like most is that it creates value for both guests and operators. Guests get an exceptional coffee experience, while operators benefit from consistency, reliability, and efficiency. For premium hospitality environments and cruise ships in particular, that’s a powerful combination.”
What kind of questions do you ask before beginning a project, and which piece of information is of utmost value in planning a successful project?
“The question I ask most often is actually very simple: “What does success look like for you?”
In my experience, the most successful projects start with understanding the customer’s vision rather than discussing products straight away. Once I understand the guest expectations, operational requirements, and long-term goals, I can help develop the right solution.
Particularly in the cruise sector, where guest experience is everything, understanding the customer’s objectives is far more valuable than any technical specification at the beginning of a project.”
What role does sustainability play in your company? How do you incorporate environmentally friendly practices and materials?
“Sustainability plays an increasingly important role at Franke and in the projects we support around the world. Customers today are looking for solutions that not only deliver an exceptional guest experience but also help meet their environmental and operational goals.
We incorporate sustainability in several ways, including energy-efficient machine technologies, optimized cleaning processes, responsible resource consumption, and durable solutions designed for a long service life.
Another important aspect is helping customers reduce waste while meeting evolving consumer preferences. For example, we see growing demand for plant-based milk alternatives and more sustainable beverage concepts, particularly in hospitality and the cruise sector.
From my perspective, sustainability is most effective when it goes hand in hand with operational efficiency. The best solutions are those that help customers reduce their environmental footprint while maintaining high quality, consistency, and an outstanding guest experience.”
What goals have you met so far in 2026? Or, what goals/milestones are you working to meet this year?
“My biggest goal for 2026 has been to grow Franke’s footprint in the cruise industry. What started as a segment I was curious about has become one of the most exciting parts of my role.
This year, I’ve focused on building new industry connections, identifying opportunities with cruise operators, and introducing Franke’s latest innovations, including the new A600 and A800.
Looking ahead, I want to continue turning these opportunities into successful projects and establish Franke as a strong and trusted partner within the global cruise market. For me, success is measured not only by new business but by creating long-term partnerships and delivering real value to our customers.”
When evaluating a new onboard coffee solution, what are the key factors that ultimately convince decision-makers to move forward with a project?
“As someone focused on expanding within the cruise industry, I’m always interested in learning how operators balance guest expectations, operational efficiency, sustainability, service support, and return on investment when making purchasing decisions.”
Thank you for a great interview Aleksandar! We can’t wait to welcome the Franke Coffee Systems team to the upcoming Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Europe on 2 – 3 December. Meet the team at stand O36.