Moroccan Student Takes the Helm at German Company With 170 Employees for a Day
Souhail Adib, a Moroccan student in business computing in Dortmund, spent a day in the top executive’s seat at a German company with 170 employees. The experience took place in October 2025. The young man, who is pursuing his career in Germany, has also recently spoken about the difficulties he has faced since arriving in the country.
On October 30, 2025, Souhail Adib got a behind-the-scenes look at the leadership of Brockhaus AG, an IT company based in Lünen, near Dortmund. At 28, he was selected from among several candidates at his university to take part in “Be the Boss,” an initiative that allows a student to symbolically replace an executive for a day. Matthias Besenfelder, a member of the company’s executive board, handed over his seat and involved him in management decisions.
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Eight meetings awaited him. Financial planning, cybersecurity, personnel management… The topics came one after another, including a discussion devoted to artificial intelligence. Developers presented their work, and a question arose: should certain tasks be fully automated, or should human oversight be maintained? Souhail preferred to retain that oversight, considering the technological solutions still imperfect.
The young Moroccan also experienced the pace executives are expected to maintain, having to move quickly from one subject to another. In the account published by his university, he admitted that he had been surprised by the breadth of the responsibilities. He had already wanted to take part in the initiative the previous year, but ultimately had to postpone his application.
The day came after several years of study in Germany. Souhail earned a bachelor’s degree in business computing at Fachhochschule Dortmund before continuing with a master’s degree. Yet his journey began with very practical challenges: learning German, finding accommodation and building a life in a foreign country.
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On November 13, 2026, the University of Dortmund revisited his story during its first “Storytelling Night,” an event devoted to the experiences of international students. Souhail talked about his arrival from Morocco and the obstacles he faced in settling in. He explained in particular how the relationships he built there had helped him find his footing and begin a professional career alongside his studies. His story was presented alongside those of other students from Syria and Egypt.
