John Fentener van Vlissingen
BCD Travel founder John Fentener van Vlissingen, who built what is now the second-largest travel management company from his family business, died on 11 December in Zeist, the Netherlands. He was 86.
What ultimately became the mega agency BCD Travel was born from a half-page memo van Vlissigen wrote to the staff at his company in 1987, explaining why the company should get into the business travel industry. When he was inducted into BTN's Business Travel Hall of Fame in 2012, he recalled the three reasons he wanted to get into the industry.
"Technology, which was virtually non-existing, should come to this industry, and we should invest first in technology before we become a travel company," van Vlissigen said in that speech. "Second, the consolidation: There were 33,000 travel agencies here in America, and you could pick and choose, there were so many, and you knew the industry would change. [And] I love the service industry, just to serve people and do the best job."
That entry came through the acquisition of Atlanta-based WorldTravel Advisors. In 2006, BCD Travel was formed when parent company BCD Group merged WorldTravel BTI with its recently purchased TQ3 Travel Solutions Management Holding GmbH and The Travel Company, in which BCD had a majority interest.
Van Vlissingen also founded Boron, his family's private investment company, which manages investments in travel as well as other areas including real estate and e-commerce. Among Boron's investments was fellow mega TMC HRG, of which Boron was the largest shareholder when it was acquired by American Express Global Business Travel in 2018.
BTN named van Vlissingen on its Top 25 Most Influential list for each of those achievements, in 2006 and 2018.
Van Vlissigen also built several charitable foundations alongside his wife, Marine, Comtesse de Pourtalés, with a focus on supporting children in need, young artists and wildlife and nature, according to his obituary provided by BCD. He is survived by his wife, three children and nine grandchildren, several of whom joined the BCD and Boron boards this year.
"Both BCD and Boron will continue to operate based on our founder's ideas and vision," the obituary said. "As Mr. van Vlissingen himself said, 'In business, a finish does not exist'."