MEET THE TEAM

OUR EXPERIENCE COUNTS

Leoni, Lizette, and Cathrine partnered in February 2022 to establish Global Explore.  Global Explore is a team of dynamic individuals with a great work ethic and a common goal – to keep building great relationships with clients and stakeholders and to take Global Explore to new heights year on year.

Lizette Botes

Lizette joined Flight Centre in 2006 and soon the travel industry became her passion leading to a very successful career. She took on challenges throughout, opened new Retail Shops, achieved the Top Novice Shop Award, and led the business to even greater heights thereafter.

She achieved several global awards as a consultant, joined the FCTG Independent Model in 2020, and has been running a successful independent business.

My definition of adventure is experiencing something for the first time.  Your first time on an aeroplane, your first visit to a foreign country, a Sangria on Las Ramblas in Barcelona, a hot air balloon ride in Egypt, snorkelling in the Maldives, working in a foreign country to earn a living.  I love that I get to be a part of my clients’ adventures.  The planning and research forms part of the excitement.

What I personally love about travelling is meeting new people, listening to their stories, learning about, and experiencing their unique culture.  Even statues have a story to tell when you listen carefully.

At home, my family loves adventures of their own.  My husband Johan is a falconer and together with our Pointer dogs (Nala and Lilo) we enjoy and experience South Africa’s beautiful nature.  Our son TJ dreams of rock-climbing Yosemite and attending a DEF CON conference in Las Vegas.  Our next family adventure… I have always dreamed of experiencing Asia, so that is next on the list.

Whatever your dreams or definition of adventure, your call to adventure awaits!

Leoni Visser

Leoni started her travel career with Flight Centre in 2005 and was part of Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG) for the past 17 years.  Leoni opened offices for various brands in Flight Centre including Flight Centre Business Travel. 

She was one of the first consultants that signed up for the FCTG Independent Model and has been running her own successful Independent Business since 2015. 

Apart from various global achievements, she achieved Top Independent Consultant for the 2019 – 2020 FY and was a Top Independent Consultant throughout 2020 and 2021.

Although not a fan of flying, I love travelling.  I love to experience different cultures, people, and the nature unique to each country.  And the food! Oh, the food! I am always open to experience new foods that are unique and part of a country's culture.

I am so privileged to love what I do.  Creating that dream holiday with a client is something I am extremely passionate about.  I love when my clients who work abroad (especially H2A) send me photos of what they are up to as well as the quick chats when they miss home.  I respect that sometimes you save a lifetime to make your dream trip a reality.

My favourite places that I have travelled to and why!

My top destinations and why!

Sri Lanka – the food, the tea!

The Sea Turtles in Bali – WOW.

Mauritius loves Honeymooners.

Seychelles for their all-day chilled vibe on the beach.

Edinburgh and Old Trafford (whilst working in the UK) – only to buy a souvenir for my dad who is a great golfer.

Spain for the buzz, the great architecture, sangrias and tappa’s!

The South Coast of Turkey is my absolute favourite.  If you want to experience a fresh summer vibe, great shopping, and gorgeous blue water it is an absolute must.

The USA.  One of my areas of expertise AND I love visiting this country.  You experience something different every time.  Each state is unique and “what happens in Vegas truly does stay in Vegas”.  New York – it is exactly as in the movies!  Totally overwhelming.  Lots of shopping (and of course big bags of M&M’s to bring home for the kids).

I am extremely privileged to work and travel with my best friends.  

Whether you book your travel with Global Explore or elsewhere – make sure you have the time of your life.

Dream, Explore, Discover!

Cathrine Tolmay

Cathrine joined Flight Centre in 2015 and worked in various Flight Centre Retail Stores during her time with the company.  In 2020 she joined the FCTG Independent Model as an independent consultant and has been running a successful business.

Travel has always been an integral part of my life. As a child, my parents opened parts of the world for me to see. The excitement I experienced; I couldn’t explain it.   I pursued several other career options which always turned out, well, boring! That is until I started my travel career with Flight Centre in 2015.

I enjoyed learning about the ins and outs of travel.  Understanding the difference that we as travel agents make made me realize what a privilege it is to help change people’s travel dreams to reality. I want to help make peoples dreams come true.

The Global Explore Team is like family.  Starting this business is an adventure I wouldn’t give up for anything.  This team is a wealth of knowledge and experience and together we are an unstoppable force.

 

Suzanne Zechlin

My career in travel started in 2004 when I joined Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.

I loved visiting the Caribbean islands and enjoyed experiencing a different island vibe every day.  One contract quickly became two and before I knew it, I spent 3 wonderful years working for one of the best cruise lines in the world.  After cruise ships my journey in travel continued at Flight Centre.  My 15 years with Flight Centre was an absolute adventure.  During my 5 years as a consultant and 10 years in the Flight Centre Finance Team I worked with the most amazing people, travelled to new (and old) destinations, and enjoyed every minute of it.

My career in travel continued with GlobalExplore.  The business is growing from strength to strength, and I am proud to be part of this wonderful company and team for 3 years already.  My duties include administration, internal finance operations and assisting clients with travel insurance.    I am so grateful for this business as it has blessed me with one of the most precious things: Time!  Time to actively be there for my son (Max) and my family.

I am very fortunate to have family in the US whom we get to visit every 2 years, so my travels continue with my travel buddy, Max.

Love what you do, and it won’t feel like you are working a day in your life!

Liana Heyneke

After 16 years as a hair stylist, I joined the Global Explore team in March 2022.  I took a chance at pursuing and learning something new, and I have not looked back. This big, exciting change in career made me realize what amazing opportunities are out there.  There is nothing more exhilarating than discovering new destinations and I can’t wait to see what this journey holds.  Travel is so much more than just travelling from one place to another.  You meet interesting people, see new places, experience new things.  What makes it even better?  I work with the most amazing group of people!  I am a proud mother of two beautiful girls, and we live in Malmesbury in the Western Cape.

Life is one big journey.  We must live it to the fullest by making amazing travel memories.  We can help make your travel dreams a reality.  What are you waiting for?  Live life to the fullest and TRAVEL.

Chris-Marie Fox

As a mother of 2 beautiful girls, I completely believe "It's not about the destination it's about the journey" and as such, it is a fantastic privilege to work in travel with a brilliant team by my side. In my pursuit of new challenges, I was excited to find the opportunity to work at Global explore. As someone who is passionate and committed to go over and above what’s expected from me, I understand giving the best service is something that I have taken very seriously the past 10 years in my professional life. My past experience in the hospitality industry has allowed me to understand that the key to the best customer service is to understand our customers and offer a service to fit their specific needs. In addition, my commitment to my role and our company fuels me to work hard every day as I’m fascinated about travel.

Let's make your travel dreams a reality!

Heidi Vissian

I began my career with Flight Centre in 2010, where I quickly found my passion for travel and customer service.

Over the years, I successfully managed three stores, driving significant sales growth, building strong customer relationships, and leading teams to exceed targets.

I have had the privilege of attending FCTG Global twice, which further honed my knowledge and gave me a global perspective on the ever-evolving travel industry. Throughout my career, I have earned multiple awards, and I still find immense joy in helping clients, especially those embarking on their first travel experiences.

In 2018, I transitioned to the FCTG Independant Model, where I embraced the opportunity to work from home while offering my clients highly personalized travel services. This flexibility allowed me to balance my career and family as a single mother, while still delivering outstanding experiences for each traveler. 

In addition to my leisure travel expertise, I have expanded my skills to include corporate travel, further enhancing my ability to meet the diverse needs of my clients. 

I have a genuine passion for exploring the world and the ability to share that excitement with others by helping them plan their dream vacations.

I love what I do because it allows me to make a positive impact, connect with others, and constantly learn and grow. The passion for helping, solving problems, and creating meaningful experiences keeps me motivated and inspired. Every challenge and success adds to the fulfillment, making the work both rewarding and meaningful.

Traveling is a precious gift that not only allows individuals to embrace diverse cultures but also facilitates family reunions. It strengthens bonds, creates lasting memories, and fosters a deeper understanding of one another across distances

Heinrich Visser

After spending the past 22 years in logistics and exports, Heinrich has decided to take on a new adventure: building a career in travel.

My love for travel began through Leoni, and it quickly turned into a true passion—meeting new people, tasting different cuisines, and collecting unforgettable experiences. Travel teaches you so much about the world, but also about yourself—especially when you're dealing with long delays or lost luggage!

I'm a people person through and through. I love learning about others, hearing their stories, and finding connections. I'm also a big sports fan, and I enjoy cooking—especially trying new recipes, experimenting with spices, and making my own sausage and biltong after hunting trips. (And yes, I always need the latest braai gadgets!)

I'm incredibly excited to join a team that shares a passion for travel and works hard to create the best experiences for their clients. I look forward to learning, growing, and contributing to this amazing journey.

To learn more about how we can improve your travel experience, get in touch with our team right away.