Our Story

MDA Hospitality Solutions began with a lifelong belief in the power of hospitality, and in the people who bring it to life.

Long before founding MDA, Mary D’Argenis-Fernandez was fascinated by the rhythm of hospitality. During childhood summers spent traveling with her family, she and her sister would sit in hotel lobbies for hours, watching employees welcome guests and shape the experience unfolding around them. That curiosity became a career when Mary joined The Walt Disney Company as a high school student, making ice cream cones at the Magic Kingdom and discovering how meaningful it could be to genuinely love where you work.

Her path eventually led to executive leadership and learning roles with some of the world’s most respected hospitality organizations, including the Walt Disney Company, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, and Fairmont Hotels. While facilitating Disney’s legendary Traditions program, Mary recognized something that would later become foundational to MDA; when employees understand their purpose, feel connected to their work, and have the tools and leadership they need to succeed, the impact reaches far beyond the employee experience. It strengthens customer satisfaction, retention, operational performance, and profitability.

Mary founded MDA Hospitality Solutions in 2015 to help organizations create that connection. Twelve years later, MDA has grown into a team of experienced strategists, operators, facilitators, and learning professionals united by a shared purpose: to inspire people to love their jobs.

Our work includes luxury residential communities, hotels, restaurants, private clubs, marinas, real estate and construction, transportation, specialty retail, event organizations, and other businesses where people and experience matter. Across every industry, we help organizations understand what is happening beneath the surface. Connecting culture, leadership, learning, service, and operations to identify the opportunities that can make the greatest difference.

At our heart, MDA is a team that believes meaningful change happens through partnership. We listen deeply, challenge thoughtfully, and remain engaged from discovery through implementation and sustainment. We do not simply recommend what should change; we work alongside our partners to build the strategies, tools, leadership capabilities, and everyday practices that allow change to take hold.

When employees feel prepared, supported, and connected to something meaningful, they create stronger experiences for everyone they serve, and stronger businesses as a result.