As the eldest son, Alex J. Vidal was duty bound to help with his father's grocery after school. While he was a junior shopkeeper, Vidal had the opportunity to acquire practical experience in shop management, albeit at a rudimentary level. Since leaving school, Vidal has been exposed to a wide range of management responsibilities. Not having the opportunity for a formal university education, Vidal was determined to obtain a recognised qualification by part-time study. In 1974, he qualified as a Chartered Secretary in the UK. In September 2016, he was registered as an accredited Management Consultant of GAFM. He is firmly convinced that learning is a lifelong process.