RICHARD DUPUIS
A Potted History
1964: Dupuis joins Bridge as operations manager for Paris Travel Service, reporting to Alma Bridge, wife of founder Walter Bridge.
1969: Paris Travel Service carries 30,000 as Dupuis launches London Travel Service.
1972: Dupuis appointed director. Group relocates from Victoria to Ware in Hertfordshire.
1978: Walter Bridge sells business to Belgium-based Sun International. The company carries over 100,000 passengers.
1979: Walter Bridge retires and Dupuis appointed group managing director. Brian Fell joins the company.
1992: Disneyland Paris programme begins and Sun International buys Cresta Holidays. The two compete head on.
1998: Airtours buys Bridge and Cresta from Sun International with Dupuis pledging to stay for two years before retiring.
2000: True to his word, Dupuis retires with Fell promoted to MD. Passenger carryings are now in excess of 350,000 per annum. Turnover is nearly £90m.