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Travel Legends Unplugged Tony Fernandes, Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio and Bill Heinecke – Full Video


Skift Take

When three industry titans swap war stories and one-liners, you get more than laughs... You get a masterclass on how no industry mixes grit, glamour, and gut instinct quite like travel.

There couldn’t have been a more apt title for this session at the Skift Global Forum in New York than “Travel Legends Unplugged.”

Heritage Group Executive Chairman, Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio; AirAsia-parent Capital A CEO Tony Fernandes and Founder and Chairman of Minor International William E. Heinecke joined Skift Founder and CEO Rafat Ali on stage on Wednesday for a session that was equal parts entertainment and masterclass.

How entertaining, you ask? Try this: Capital A CEO Tony Fernandes quipped that his topless massage photo delivered $27 million worth of publicity for AirAsia. Heritage Group’s Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio deadpanned, “I wasn’t born to these roles; I was born wealthy and self-appointed myself early on.” And then came Minor International’s William (Bill) Heinecke with the mic-drop: “At our age we don’t get stressed, we give stress!” This raw, unfiltered banter set the tone for a session that revealed the personalitie