ACU-JULY-2020 4th Draft

TH E LOU NG E
Movies with his
daughters, a walk with
his wife, rugby and
books for this busy CEO
Change is the only thing constant in this world. The faster we
embrace it, the better we adapt and flow seamlessly.
Lionel van der Walt knows this fully well as he constantly travels
and live in different continents throughout his more than 20
years of international executive leadership career mainly in the
air cargo industry.
The President and CEO of the Americas for PayCargo, a leading
global fintech firm in the industry, was born in South Africa and
spent the early part of his career in the South African Air Force.
Following this, he spent more than a decade with the
International Air Transport Association (IATA), where he held
various leadership roles based out of South Africa, Spain and
the United States, including as President of Cargo Network
Services Corp. (CNS), IATA's US cargo subsidiary.
Post CNS, he served as CEO at the International Institute of
Building Enclosure Consultants (IIBEC) and also served as a
member of PayCargo's Board of Directors.
The Coronavirus pandemic has pushed digitalization to
become more relevant, particularly in the digital freight
payment platform like PayCargo, and van der Walt believes
change is coming to the entire industry soon.
“Digital solutions are vital as the global cargo and shipping
supply chain has had to rethink the way it does business in
response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the majority of
employees now working remotely and demand soaring for a
reliable online freight payment platform solution such as
PayCargo's,” said van der Walt, who holds an MBA in Strategy
and General Management from Milpark Business School in
South Africa.
“This pandemic has proven to be a catalyst for the faster
adoption of online payment solutions that are safer, more
secure, fast and transparent,” added van der Walt. “As social
distancing has become the global policy to halt the spread of
COVID-19, it is clear how unsuitable using cash, checks,
vouchers and traditional POS terminals are and shows the value
of digital payments.”
With so little time left for himself and his family due to work, van
der Walt makes it a point to do simple but meaningful things
with his loved ones.
“I don't have much spare time,” says van der Walt, “but when I
do, I prefer spending quality time with my family, a movie with
my daughters, a walk with my wife, or a fun family outing. I also
enjoy reading non-fiction books, anything that I can learn from,
such as biographies and history, as well as watching
Lionel van der
Walt
President & CEO of the
Americas, PayCargo
documentaries. As an international family, we love to travel and
value meaningful shared experiences.”
This CEO is also into rugby and serves as a Clayton Youth Rugby
Board member, a cause-oriented group in the US which
PayCargo sponsors.
“My favorite sport is rugby. That should not be a surprise
considering that I grew up in South Africa where rugby is a
national past time and the majority of South Africans are ardent
Springbok supporters,” he shared. “It is a wonderful
opportunity and privilege to combine my passion for the sport
with a great cause such as youth development.”
Van der Walt says staying connected all the time with family,
friends and colleagues and to the rest of the world is something
he can't live without. Personally, this means keeping up with
them through Zoom, Facetime, WhatsApp, among other apps,
having access to information and the ability to purchase any
item or service online from the comfort of his home.
This CEO who never takes anything for granted says, “I
constantly remind myself that today's success and good
fortune are not guaranteed tomorrow, and firmly believe that
complacency and arrogance are two of the most dangerous
traits both in business and in our personal lives.”
“This drives me to always try and be as humble as possible
irrespective of the situation and to always look for
opportunities that stretch me beyond my comfort zone to
achieve personal growth and success.”