MICHELLE Bergset
claims that she’s not
an early riser, but
when I arrive at 08h00 to
interview her, she’s bright
eyed and raring to go. Her
energy is infectious so,
thankfully, I wake up too.
It’s no surprise that she’s
spent most of her time
growing up in Durban, but
it’s her humble start and
strong mother that most
shaped her.
Her family moved to
Umhlanga when she was
four to secure the best
care for her father, who had
cancer and was treated
at Addington Hospital,
which offered free cancer
treatment.
After her father died,
Michelle’s mother was left
to raise the family. Despite
having limited resources,
she put her children through
good schools, gave them
cars and saw each of them
through university. Michelle
says she gets her strength
from her mother. “We didn’t
grow up wealthy, but my
mom really gave us the best
that she could. She was
a single mom and strong
woman and she gave me a
lot of my strength.”
Naughty but strict
Michelle was a prefect
at both primary and high
school but confesses that
she is naughty, something
she says is balanced by
her strict nature. She was
determined to advance in an
industry largely dominated
by men and, over the course
of her career, she has risen
through the ranks – from
consultant to retail head
at FCTG, where she heads
up the Flight Centre brand
as well as groups brands –
Cruiseabout, Flight Centre
Holidays, Flight Centre
Business Traveller and the
online offering.
With her will and her
father’s Nordic roots, it’s
fitting that Michelle’s alter
ego is a Shield Maiden –
she has a massive shield
tattoo on her back to show
it. Like the Shield Maidens,
who fight among the men,
Michelle firmly believes
women should sit alongside
the men in this industry,
and they can when they are
empowered by other women.
She describes herself as
“demanding and direct”.
At school she participated
in drama, was in the school
choir, on the magazine
committee and also
organised school events
including dances and
fashion shows, which she
really enjoyed. She was part
of a large group of girlfriends
who dubbed themselves the
‘get along gang’ and are still
friends today.
Inspired by her Matric
teacher and because of her
love of literature, Michelle
initially wanted to be a
teacher and studied for a
Bachelor’s degree at the
University of KwaZulu-Natal,
waitressing in the evenings
to pay for extras such as
petrol. Her majors were
English and French Literature
and French Translation. She
is fluent in French, English
and Afrikaans.
But when Michelle went to
register for a Higher Diploma
in Education, she decided
against teaching. “I went
to go register and when I
looked around I thought to
myself: ‘Hmmm, ja this isn’t
for me’ and I left.”
After her mom suggested
that she should try her
hand at teaching, Michelle
taught at smaller schools
that would accept teachers
without a diploma. She
also gave extra lessons in
English and French but felt
that teaching was definitely
not for her and decided to
get another job. However,
her affinity for teaching
has given her a love for
developing people.
Michelle found herself
working as a travel
consultant for Pentravel
Pavilion and spent 17 years
at Pentravel. It was thanks
to a series of business
unit turnarounds that she
reached the position of
Pentravel national sales
manager.
Seizing opportunity
She started at Pentravel
Boksburg, moved around
and also turned the East
Rand Mall store around.
Seizing every opportunity,
Michelle played a part in
Pentravel’s George store
turnaround before becoming
area manager for the
southern Cape and then
regional manager for the
Western Cape, which saw
a profit for the first time
under her leadership. She
was then appointed national
sales manager and helped
build a sustainable, if small,
retail business over nine
years, after which she was
made coo.
But after nine months,
Michelle got itchy feet and
made the move to Flight
Centre, seeking to work
at a global company. For a
year she was area manager
for the Western Cape –
dubbed the transformer area
spanning the group’s 15
retail groups in the southern
suburbs of Cape Town.
Michelle says in her short
time at FCTG, she has
absorbed the culture and
values of the brand. “In the
nearly two years that I have
been working at the group
I have really grown as a
person, developed business
acumen and garnered a
global understanding of the
business.”
When Marieke Tucker
moved to Australia, Michelle
quickly put up her hand for
the retail gm position, which
she has held since July
last year. “I was up against
tough, solid competition,”
she says.
In the nine months
that she has been in
Johannesburg, Michelle has
come to love the people
and the city. “The city has
an international feel. The
people are amazing, friendly
and always ready to work
hard,” she says, adding
that the city suits her
personality.
She takes her inspiration
from women like Caster
Semenya and Venus
Williams, vilified in the
media for what is perceived
as their man-like strength,
as well as Frida Kahlo and
Alicia Keys, the latter for
her authenticity, talent and
non-judgemental attitude.
“She writes, produces and
performs all her music,”
she says, adding that Alicia
doesn’t care what people
think and doesn’t wear
make-up. “She is truly
authentic.”
To her younger colleagues,
Michelle’s message is:
“No matter how you grow
up and whatever you do,
you can be anything you
want to be. You just have
to choose your journey and
be adaptable and tenacious
and resilient.” She says
there are many times that
she has been knocked
down or things haven’t
worked out as planned.
“You have to pick yourself
up and carry on.”
Getting to know Michelle
• Michelle is originally
from Boksburg, having
moved to Durban at four
years old.
• She is the young sister
to three brothers.
• Michelle has a troupe
of nephews – nine in
total, with her siblings,
and her partner Elisna
Bergset’s siblings having
sons.
• One of Michelle’s best
travel memories is her
trip to Sydney after
Elisna scooped a Qantas
prize for her a five-line
poem about the airline,
its birthday and John
Travolta, the airline’s
brand ambassador. It
was here that she met
John Travolta. “We met
him and he flew us in
his private jet.”
• Knowing that she won’t
be able to see every
place is Michelle’s
greatest sadness. “My
ultimate dream would
be to touch every single
corner of the world,” she
says.
• She is an animal rights
activist and having seen
The Cove, she would
like to go to Taiji in
Japan to protest for the
dolphins, captured and
slaughtered in the area.
• While Michelle’s spirit
animal is a dolphin, she
says her friends joke
that she is a naked
mole rat – sharing the
creature’s naughty face.
• She is an avid reader
and her favourite authors
are Paulo Coelho and
Melinda Ferguson. She
also loves Shakespeare
and Maya Angelou,
whom she wishes she
could have met.
• Michelle loves stories
about the underdog
and overcoming
difficulties, something
that resonates with her,
having grown up without
a father.
• She loves décor and is
a DIY ninja – she does
everything from painting
to upholstery.
