BIDTravel Management
Lidia de Olim Folli is the visionary leader who has successfully guided Africa’s largest travel management group, Bidvest Travel Holdings (BidTravel), since 2017. Her financial acumen, industry knowledge and commitment to shaping the future of the travel industry have earned her respect and admiration, not just within the company but across the wider industry. With Lidia at the helm, BidTravel is poised to continue leading the way in innovative travel solutions and delivering exceptional service to its clients across Africa.
Under Lidia’s leadership, Bidvest Travel Holdings has grown from strength to strength, expanding its footprint and catering to a diverse range of clients across various sectors. Her focus on creating a customer-centric culture has resulted in the group winning various industry awards, including the World Travel Awards for Africa’s Leading Travel Management Company in 2019.
Before joining BidTravel as COO in 2016, she spent ten years with Tourvest Travel Services in various portfolios. As a qualified Chartered Accountant, she has an undisputable passion for numbers. Lidia holds an Honours degree in Accounting and completed her articles with Deloitte & Touche.
Lidia has demonstrated her commitment to shaping the future of the travel industry by her participation in various organisational bodies, such as the South African Agency Programme Joint Council (APJC) where she served as Chairperson, and the Association of South African Travel Agents (ASATA) where she served as a board member.
As a champion for gender diversity and empowerment, Lidia is a member of Women in Business Forum. She also contributed to the Group’s social responsibility projects, which include a focus on skills development and empowerment initiatives. Her leadership style exemplifies BidTravel’s core values of honesty, integrity and professionalism.
As the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Vivian heads up the financial operations of Bidvest Travel Holdings (BidTravel), since 2022. Vivian has a forward-thinking and innovative approach to financial management. He holds a Bachelor of Accounting (Honours) degree from the University of the Witwatersrand and is a qualified Chartered Accountant (SA). He has also completed an Executive Leadership Programme at the Wits Business School.
During Vivian’s impressive career he has held several senior positions for national and international corporations, including Barloworld, Daytona Group and Primedia Outdoor. His responsibilities included entities in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Mocambique, Lesotho, Zambia and Nigeria. As CFO, this proven expertise in financial management and commercial decision making across industries is invaluable to the multi brand group. This experience provided him with an international perspective and an understanding of diverse business cultures.
One of Vivian’s key strengths is his ability to work collaboratively with teams to achieve strategic objectives. He is passionate about empowering people and building strong stakeholder relationships, both internally and externally. His leadership style is focused on accountability, transparency and integrity. Vivian’s approach to financial management is grounded in creating sustainable value for all stakeholders, including employees, customers, suppliers and shareholders.
Overall, Vivian’s extensive financial expertise, coupled with his values-based leadership, make him an invaluable asset to the BidTravel team. His strategic insights, commercial acumen and collaborative approach will enable us to continue to grow and strengthen our position in the market.
Under Herby Seedat’s leadership as Chief Information Officer (CIO), Bidvest Travel Holdings (BidTravel) has seen significant advancements in their IT infrastructure and systems, since 2008. He has spearheaded several successful transformation initiatives and digital projects, resulting in improved efficiencies, cost savings and enhanced customer experiences. His strategic approach has helped Bidvest Travel Holdings stay ahead of the curve in an increasingly competitive industry.
As a thought leader in the field of IT, Herby is a regular speaker and panelist at industry events, sharing his insights and best practices with peers and aspiring IT leaders. He is passionate about developing young talent in the industry, and has mentored several young IT professionals who have gone on to become successful leaders in their own right.
Herby holds a diploma in Information Technology from the University of Johannesburg, together with certifications in OOAD Methodologies and Practices, Java Specialist from IBM and Management Qualification from the University of Stellenbosch Business School. With his vast experience, innovative mindset and strategic vision, Herby Seedat has firmly established himself as an astute leader in BidTravel, and a respected leader in the IT industry. His contribution to the company has been substantial, and he continues to push boundaries, striving for excellence in all that he does.
Gillian is the innovative Human Resources Director for Bidvest Travel Holdings (BidTravel) from 2019.
With a proven track record in change management and organisational transformation, Gillian is an expert in driving transformation initiatives that focus on progressive HR practices and strategies aimed at building organisational capability. She has successfully leveraged her knowledge and experience to develop and implement sustainable HR strategies, and leads her team with a hands-on approach, ensuring that every employee feels valued, engaged and supported in their respective roles.
As a leader, Gillian is known for her ability to build relationships that extend beyond the HR function. She has demonstrated her capability to understand the business, establish a collaborative approach and develop responsive HR solutions. She remains deeply committed to transformation and development and is committed to recruiting and developing the best talent the industry has to offer.
Gillian’s leadership style, breadth of experience and knowledge of human resource management position her as an expert in her field. Her positive approach to people, as well as her strategic and collaborative nature, enable her to create HR practices and strategies that are simultaneously responsive to the business drivers and focused on the development of the individual employee. She is dedicated to advancing the strategic priorities of BidTravel as it continues to grow and evolve as a leading player in the African business landscape.