Big change at BidTravel

SEVERAL major changes
are happening
at BidTravel: the
consortium has a new ceo,
it is moving house and has
just completed a significant
acquisition.
Effective April 1, Lidia
Folli, coo of BidTravel and
former cfo of Tourvest Travel
Services, was appointed ceo
of BidTravel. Previous ceo of
almost 12 years, Allan Lunz,
is now the deputy chairman of
the consortium. Before that,
Allan was md of CWT.
“Lidia’s appointment will
enable me to have a more
strategic focus,” says Allan,
adding that his priorities will
include greater attention to
acquisitions, like the most
recent Cruises International
purchase. (For more on the
Cruises story – see page 2.)
Currently, there are another
two to three acquisitions on
the horizon, he says.
Allan says, when choosing
the right person to take the
helm, it was integral to find
someone who understood how
to keep a business profitable.
“It’s one thing to understand
that one plus one equals two,
but for me, it was important
that we had someone who
knew how to make one and
one equal three.”
He says the “game has
changed” and that he looks
forward to how Lidia will make
use of the technological
opportunities that present
themselves in today’s industry,
particularly her strategies
around disruptors such as
Uber and Airbnb.
“Coming into BidTravel as
someone new with a fresh
set of eyes has allowed
us to view the business
differently,” says Lidia. As
ceo, she will take over the
day-to-day responsibilities of
managing BidTravel, including
the mammoth task of moving
the entire consortium to one
building.
Each brand will have its
own floor. Individual mds will
still be responsible for each
brand’s identity and company
goals, says Lidia. “We’ll be
moving 300 people within the
next ten days.” HRG Rennies
and Harvey World head office
will be the first of BidTravel’s
brands to move to 26 Girton
Road, Parktown. CWT is
expected to complete its
move by June 26 and BCD
by July 22.
BidTravel will be running a
competition for staff to name
the building. The building’s
name is expected to be
announced at the official
opening in September.