Bosses for Babies

How This Boss Makes an Impact for Children in Florida

As a hospitality trailblazer, Florencia Tabeni has established herself as a force in the business world. She leads a corporate team of extraordinary individuals and pushes MDM Hotel Group to live up to their mantra of providing genuine hospitality by inspiring strong relationships with guests, associates, and partners alike.

Florencia and MDM recognize that their team members are their greatest asset, and are constantly looking for ways to improve both their work conditions and personal lives. MDM allows flexible scheduling that accommodates associates’ personal obligations, such as attending school, picking up their children, and other weekday activities that associates in other businesses would typically need to take personal time off to attend to.

MDM also believes that associates who are content at work bring positivity back into their homes, so they focus on mental health and frequently curate stress-relief activities, such as arts and crafts events or bringing in therapy dogs to mingle with associates. With respect to physical health, they host yearly health fairs, blood drives, breast cancer screenings, and other awareness activities that go beyond the workplace.

Literacy skills are of the utmost importance to MDM, which is why they partner with the Miami Book Fair to promote literacy in adults and children alike. Any associates who become new parents are also connected with The Children’s Trust’s Book Club, which provides one free book per month from birth to age 5 as a way to build home libraries and promote early childhood education.

As a forward-thinking company, MDM looks to promote and support a healthy work-life balance by engaging with community organizations that support their workforce - especially those offering assistance with child care or navigating new parenthood. MDM is always seeking opportunities to evolve, engage, and support their associates as parents while they navigate the different stages of their children’s lives. 
 

Bio

Florencia Tabeni, Chief Operating Officer (COO) for the MDM Hotel Group has earned her place as an effective and respected leader, with over 30 years of dedication to Marriott International and the hospitality industry. She assumed the role of COO in March 2024, following her 7-year tenure as Vice President of Operations and Development at MDM. Prior, she also served as General Manager for the JW Marriott Marquis Miami and Hotel Beaux Arts Miami, overseeing the opening of both hotels in 2010. 


In its first year of operation, the JW Marriott Marquis Miami earned Marriott’s “Best New Product” award as well as awards for design and technology, and was subsequently awarded Marriott International’s “JW Marriott Hotel of the Year” in 2012, 2013, and 2014. Aside from overseeing award-winning properties, Florencia has been granted several awards herself. In 2012, she received the prestigious “General Manager of the Year” award from Marriott International and was nominated as one of Miami’s Most Influential Businesswomen by South Florida Business Journal. In 2014, she won Miami Today’s “Gold Medal Award” for successful business leadership. 


In addition to her professional accomplishments, Florencia has always been committed to giving back to her community, serving as a member of the Marriott International Advisory Board; an Executive Board Member for the Greater Miami and the Beaches Hotel Association; an Advisory Board Member for the University of Miami’s Master of Real Estate Development and Urbanism program; as well as on the Advisory Board for the Academy of Hospitality and as Secretary of the Board for the International Women’s Florida Forum. Florencia works to improve her community in various other ways, including participating in environmental activities, minority advancement projects, and programs that work to expand opportunity to underprivileged areas.