Matriarch stays tough
CEO of Sure Travel,
Vanya Lessing,
says as the oldest
sibling, she learned to be
responsible at a very early
age. ”I’ve been described
as the matriarch of the
family.
“I like to think that other
people and my family can
rely on me and if I say I am
going to do something, I
will deliver, no matter how
difficult it is.”
Vanya grew up in Henleyon-Klip,
midway between
Johannesburg and the Vaal,
which she describes as a
“beautiful, almost Englishstyled
village”. She says
she lived a “bit of a country
life there” and tells how
a childhood friend taught
her how to ride horses as
young girl.
“I come from a very close
family,” she says. “My
family and friends might
say I am generous to a
fault, but I am because
I care and they are what
make me happiest.”
Vanya has also been
described as a “rock chick”
by one of the younger
members of her family. “I
agree, I’m generous, but
also tough. I don’t do
much of the ‘hoekom moet
ek so suffer’.”
Foray into fashion
Before she entered the
travel trade, Vanya did
a stint in the fashion
industry. Her sister was
a fashion designer and
owned her own label
and clothing company in
Brighton in the UK. After
matriculating from General
Jan Smuts High School in
Vereeniging, she travelled
to Europe and joined her
sister’s business.
“I was in fashion with
her for five years, choosing
fabrics, looking at designs
and helping approve
the collections for new
seasons.”
She says she thoroughly
enjoyed the industry
and “there were times it
was more stressful than
travel” but the experience
prepared her for the
resilience she’d need
once entering the travel
business.
“I didn’t come through
the traditional ranks of
consulting and that was
very challenging for me at
times, but I did come with
other skills.”
After Vanya came back
to South Africa she joined
a management consulting
company. “That’s actually
how I came into travel.
We were restructuring a
big travel organisation
here and after we finished
the contract [the travel
company] invited me to
stay on as one of its senior
travel managers.”
The company was Connex
Travel – now known as
BCD Travel – Vanya stayed
there for nine years then
moved to Johannesburg
after being appointed ceo
of Asata.
It was in Johannesburg
where she says she
learned to be a “big
girl”. “I cut my teeth in
Johannesburg – it’s where
I learned a lot about
business. There’s nothing
like a New York minute –
try a Jo’burg minute.”
Vanya now lives in Sea
Point. She’s been the
ceo of Sure Travel for the
last nine years and says
even now she still learns
something new every day.
“You are only as good
as the people around you
and I have a great team
of very diverse thinkers
who keep me on my toes.
I can be fairly autocratic in
some ways and I have to
step back and ensure I’m
listening to the wisdom
and opinion of the people
who have chosen to work
with me.”
Surviving travel
She says it takes a
particular type of character
to work in travel. “It’s
a great industry, but it
requires you to be tough
and resilient,” adding
that an ideal consultant
would understand the
responsibility they would
have of delivering the
best possible service
on a budget.
“A travel consultant
needs to possess a certain
sense of calm as often
things beyond their control
can happen.”
A will to upskill; the
desire to constantly
educate oneself and
confidence are ideal
attributes in the travel
business, she says.
“There’ll be many times
where you’ll be in contact
with financial directors
and procurement managers
and you’ll need to be
confident when you are
engaging with people at a
certain level.”
Vanya says confidence
has been key to her
success and that, as
a child, she was often
encouraged to take leaps
of faith.
“Accepting the offer of
coming into the industry
without a travel background
and leaving my then career
of management consulting,
well, that was a good leap
of faith.”
Getting to know Vanya
If she wasn’t in travel
she’d be a veterinarian.
The biggest lesson she
learned as a child was to
eat her vegetables and
to always be kind and
generous. “You always
have a little to give – no
matter how little that
something is.”
She’d love to visit
Moscow one day.
If she could invite any
three people for dinner
living, dead or famous,
she’d invite CNN anchor,
Christiane Amanpour,
Sir David Attenborough
and, she says “I’d have to
have a chef over because
I don’t cook very much,
so I’d also invite my niece
Nicole, who recently
qualified as chef”.
Her favourite song is Tony
Joe White’s Rainy Night in
Georgia.
