Charlie’s Travels after the passing of our founder

Source: De Ondernemer What happens to an organisation when the founder, the great inspirer, and the one with the crucial network suddenly passes away? To our great sorrow, we at Charlie’s Travels are experiencing this since Charles Witlox (33) tragically lost his life. Robbert Daalder, editor at De Ondernemer, had a conversation with our CEO Coert Prins on 27 July 2023. You can read the interview below.

Charles Witlox passed away due to a tragic accident

It’s only been seven months since Charles was literally taken from life in a kitesurfing accident in South Africa. While the passionate founder of the travel company was still on the beach, his kite lifted him high into the air. The crash he made further along the asphalt was something he didn’t recover from. And all this happened while his girlfriend discovered a week later that she was pregnant. “There is no director who would write such a bad script as this,” sighs Coert Prins, CEO of Charlie’s Travels. “How are we doing in the meantime? On the business side, we are quite successful and growing. On a personal level, you can feel that Charles’ passing has had a massive impact. Every day. There is still a lot of pain and unresolved grief.”

Charles' involvement is deeply missed

He explains that the organisation misses a founder who cared about everyone and always wanted to know how they were doing. A valuable trait. "Sometimes it was almost to the point of being irritating, but it created a strong sense of family among the colleagues. Charles was genuinely interested. In everything and everyone. Such a person is incredibly hard to find again."In the week following the accident, Coert and his colleagues from the management team (Linde van Loenen and Sebastian Vandelannoitte) gathered to discuss what to do next. Because, as difficult as it may feel, business must continue. "We wondered how we should now handle the brand, because he was the brand. He was the company's mascot. Should we even look for a replacement for Charles? Would that do him and the organisation a disservice? In the end, we decided to leave it as it is.""There is no director who would write such a bad script as this. Charles’ passing has had a massive impact, and there is still a lot of unresolved grief." – Coert Prins, CEO of Charlie’s Travels

Employees embody the late founder

It turns out to be a good decision. According to the CEO, a drive has emerged among the staff that literally gives him goosebumps whenever he talks about it. "It’s as if everyone at Charlie’s Travels has chosen to collectively embody Charles after his passing. We are all now the genuinely interested explorers he was." "There have been gaps in the product development that he was responsible for, but I now see colleagues seizing the opportunity to fill those gaps. Exactly as he would have wanted. I think it’s truly beautiful that something like this is happening. They’re even making videos just like he always did. Everyone feels that this is important and that we need to solve it together."

The source of ideas, known as Charles Witlox, has run dry

The mindset of the staff is valuable. However, the challenges are far from being tackled. Charles was known as an incredible creative who, due to his flood of ideas, often had to be reined in by his team. But now the creative is gone, and the source of ideas has run dry. "Charles was constantly in Africa, discovering new places for our clients. Truly long-term work. He’d hear something in Sierra Leone or want to develop something in Angola... He knew all the agencies. He knew Africa. For us, it’s a different story. I come from IT, and my marketing manager has a background in finance. How do you solve something like that?" "As mentioned, our staff is picking up the smaller tasks. We need to start thinking together in the coming period about new projects in countries like Gabon and Senegal. How do you develop something like that? I don’t know. It’s only been seven months, you know. These things aren’t super urgent, but they’re incredibly important. A massive challenge."

Now, the unborn child inherits control

Just like the business aspect. Charles was the 100% owner of the company, and it is his family who has inherited the organisation. But how does that work in practice? "His girlfriend is about to give birth, and ultimately, the child will inherit control over the company. How do you deal with that? I don’t know. It’s a unique situation. His mother was always involved and wants to carry on with it. It’s also the legacy of her son." "As I mentioned, the business is still going well. Financially, we report to the family, and once the biggest shock has somewhat settled, we’ll look to the future. Still, this isn’t the way you want to think about things. I never signed up for this. It’s tough, but we have to deal with it." "Charles' girlfriend is about to give birth, and ultimately, the child will inherit control over the company. How do you deal with that? I don’t know."

The 'rare guy on a motorbike' continues to motivate

Although Coert’s tone is understandably downcast, he assures that the current situation doesn’t discourage him. "I work from Nairobi, I’m mostly outside there, and especially in the beginning, I would sometimes just stare into space for endless periods. Nothing would come to mind. Still, Charles' drive is still within me. I know what we want to achieve. Our plans still motivate me, and that gives me enough energy to bring others along." He is not worried about the future of Charlie’s Travels. "We held the ceremony for Charles in Nairobi, where our partners from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and others had the opportunity to say their goodbyes. When you hear what Charles and our organisation meant to those people... they can now welcome tourists. Build lives. All because a 'rare guy on a motorbike' came by and gave them that opportunity. Isn’t that crazy? The impact we as a company make on the lives of local entrepreneurs is our greatest motivation." Coert Prins - CEO Charlie's Travels