Perhaps unkindly, the stereotypical image of Germans has tended to be people who are blond and humorless. But not so Thomas Mueller.

From 9am to 5pm, the 60-year-old is the serious and efficient general manager of Sheraton Shanghai Hongqiao Hotel (previously known as the Sheraton Grand Shanghai Tai Ping Yang Hotel) driving the day-to-day operation of the hotel.

His responsibilities include strategic management, marketing, budgeting, financial analysis, meeting with guests and associates and set-up checks.

"My daily transport is the elevator. It takes me from floor to floor in the hotel," Mueller jokes.

But when the work day is done, it is a different story. The German removes his suit and tie and pulls on sports shoes and casual gear - either to work up a sweat in the gym or go exploring Shanghai on his beloved motorcycle with sidecar, a made-in-China Changjiang replica of a 1938 World War II 750cc BMW.

Mueller, who prefers to call himself a "global citizen," has a long association with the city, China and Asia stretching back more than 20 years.

"I love to meet new people, travel and work in different countries and enjoy a luxury lifestyle. The hotel business allows me to do all that and get paid for it," he says.

With more than 35 years of experience in the hotel industry with the world's biggest hotel chains - Hilton, Hyatt, Sheraton - Mueller has enjoyed a stellar career. He started with Sheraton in 1982 as director of food and beverage in the Sheraton Hong Kong. It was his first taste of China and the place where he also met his Shanghai-born, Canadian-educated wife Barbara.