Loveholidays CEO: Travel is no longer discretionary, it’s an essential part of people’s lives
Each week, we dig into the memory bank of the City’s great and good. Today, Loveholidays CEO Donat Rétif takes us through his career in Square Mile and Me
CV
- Name: Donat Rétif
- Job title: CEO of Loveholidays
- Previous roles: CEO of Meteo Group, CEO of Truvo, VP sales of the US West Region of Verizon
- Age: 56
- Born: Mons (Belgium)
- Lives: Hammersmith
- Studied: Masters in Business Engineering at UCLouvain (Belgium) & Université Laval (Canada)
- Talents: Sports in general as long as there is a ball
- Motto: Carpe diem
- Biggest perk of the job? Travel
- Coffee order: Caramel Macchiato
- Cocktail order: Old Fashioned
- Favourite book: Black Water Lilies by Michel Bussi
What was your first job?
A summer job when I was a student, placing plastic caps on syringes on an assembly line.
What was your first role in business?
Chief of staff to the CEO of a joint venture (directories/media) between France Telecom (now Orange) and Telecom Italia.
When did you know you wanted to build a career in travel?
Coming from a simple background, all I knew was that I wanted to travel the world. I did a Master’s degree in Business Engineering and had the opportunity to study in Canada. I then joined the telecommunications world in Belgium. American shareholders came in the late nineties and gave me the chance to move to Canada and then California, and work for Verizon. Since then, I’ve worked in six different industries in six different countries to, ironically, end up in travel.
What’s one thing you love about the City of London?
How eclectic and diverse it is. There’s always something going on, whether it’s culture or sport, which is great for somebody who is very quickly bored.
And one thing you would change?
The weather… even though it’s a great motivator for people to book holidays. More seriously, London is an excellent place for business but it could do more to support entrepreneurship and innovation if we want to compete with San Francisco and New York.
What’s been your most memorable job interview?
My first job interview with the CEO of the joint venture; he was very impressive. I had come from the small village where I grew up, on the outskirts of Mons in Belgium and was wearing my father’s suit.
And any business faux pas?
Spilling coffee on my trousers before a big meeting with investors…
What’s been your proudest moment?
Nothing makes me prouder than my people. I’m also very proud of my wife – she’s a painter and I’m always impressed by the quality of her paintings – and my two boys.
And who do you look up to?
My wife.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever been given?
The three most important things are People, People and People. Always surround yourself with better people than you… and don’t forget to have fun and enjoy the moment.
And the worst?
Be cautious. I much prefer to regret things I’ve tried rather than not do them.
Are you optimistic for the year ahead? Any IPO update?
Very optimistic. Travel is no longer discretionary – it’s now an essential part of people’s lives. We consistently see this in consumer spending reports from the banks. As we head into the next six months of cooler weather, we know we’ll see many people booking their holidays as they need something to look forward to. We’ve tripled the size of Loveholidays since the pandemic and we plan to do the same over the next three years.
We’re going for lunch, and you’re picking – where are we going?
London is a paradise for the foodie and wine geek that I am and I have a very long list of recommendations. Here is one: Brigadiers in Bloomberg Arcade.
And if we’re grabbing a drink after work?
The Library Bar at the Ned.
Where’s home during the week?
Hammersmith.
And where might we find you at the weekend?
Somewhere in London as we continue to love discovering the city, even after seven years living here.
You’ve got a well-deserved two weeks off. Where are you going and who with?
To Provence in France with my wife.