Leadership Lessons: Lloyd Dorfman, founder of Travelex

Learning stumble by stumble

Throughout his impressive career, from building Travelex into a global giant to embracing philanthropic and non-executive roles, Sir Lloyd has built key insights to help understand the challenges of managing a growing business, transitioning from an executive to a non-executive role, and the right time to sell a business.

His story is one of persistence, learning from setbacks, and adapting to the evolving business landscape. “I built Travelex brick by brick and stumble by stumble,” he explains.

“You see the same basic problems in different guises”

His business acumen and management expertise, honed through years of overseeing Travelex’s global expansion, equip Sir Lloyd to deal with the challenges faced by organisations, whether in business or charity. Sir Lloyd emphasises the value of learning and adapting, acknowledging that, over time, growth and experience provide the ability to handle recurring challenges more effectively.

“In any organisation, whether commercial or charitable, income must exceed expenditure. People sometimes forget that costs in charities are just as real as those in businesses,” he reflects.

“While many of the issues are familiar, the longer one stays in business, the better equipped one becomes to find solutions. You see the same basic problems in different guises.”