Get to know our newest addition to the team, Patrick Nohilly, our new Co-President and CFO as he talks about his background, moving to Atlanta, and how he went from working at a restaurant to starting his career in business.

Tell us a little bit about your background
Hmmm. Where to begin. Born in Queens, NY moved to Long Island, NY at age 8, and lived there in various places for the rest of my life…until now. The only sport that existed in Queens was stick ball in the street and baseball in the vacant lot next door. When I moved to Long Island my sister and I lived with my aunt to start school on time before we closed on a house. My aunt stuck me on a soccer team with my cousin, was hooked from day one. Never looked back. Met my wife at age 18 working in a restaurant. I was a dishwasher/ short order cook. Best time ever! I was initially an engineering student who somehow managed to pass Physics class but learned you couldn’t cram for Calculus. I began reading about Corporate Greenmail and Mergers and Acquisitions (think Gordon Gekko “Greed is Good”) and was hooked on business (Millennials might have to Google that). My business career was less dynamic than the film for sure. I am more like the anti-Gekko it turns out. I am the tortoise in this race.

How do you feel about your new job and moving to Atlanta?
I am quite excited to bring my experience to Messe Frankfurt USA and equally excited as to the company’s growth over the last few years and what the future could hold. It feels good. Messe Frankfurt globally and the company’s position among global trade show companies is without question and I have not met nicer people anywhere and everyone has been quite welcoming.

Moving to Atlanta will take some time and some getting used to. I am excited to have an opportunity to change things a little and spark my family to explore, but with that comes great anxiety. We all love our home in NY so that will be the hard part…all in due time.

What are some things you enjoy doing outside of work?
I have enjoyed working on my house often. I am an excellent person to help with demolition. The last several improvements I have done on my house didn’t require me to buy one single tool. Decks, Siding, Flooring, that gives you an idea of the tools I have. My wife is planning the tool sale, trust me. Finally, I have reacquainted myself with being athletic by going to the gym, refereeing soccer (yes I have the outfit), biking (yes I have the outfit) and playing soccer. I like to read Biographies and enjoy all TV and film and a wide range of music.

What can we expect in the next month and years for Messe Frankfurt?
In the short term, status quo. I will be kicking the tires and asking lots of questions and hoping to spend time understanding the processes and the culture so that I can formulate a path and plan that supports the business forward. In the longer term, I expect the business to achieve the targets set for this year and next. I am optimistic we can add to the team and the portfolio over the coming years and grow all aspects of the business.

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Nohilly previously held various management positions encompassing Finance, M&A and Media Operations at multinational media and event group UBM between 1999 and 2015, most recently as Senior Vice President Central Operations and Finance in New York.

Nohilly now oversees the Atlanta subsidiary’s business together with Dennis Smith who will be continuing as Co-President and CEO. Patrick’s responsibilities focus mainly on the area of Finance & Administration. Detlef Braun, Member of the Executive Board of Messe Frankfurt: “We are delighted to have Patrick on board – in him, Messe Frankfurt has an experienced manager and financial expert from the event sector with extensive knowledge of the North American market.”