Vantaggi
Working at Flight Centre under Andrew Stark's leadership was nothing short of exceptional. The company genuinely opened up the world for me — not just professionally, in terms of opportunities to grow into senior commercial roles across multiple geographies and brands, but personally, in terms of the travel experiences and global perspective the role provided.
The company culture stands out as one of the strongest I've experienced in 35 years in the industry. There was a real sense of meritocracy — performance was recognised and rewarded, and people who delivered were given room to grow. The leadership invested in their people, both through formal development and through the kind of stretch opportunities that build genuine commercial leaders. Andrew Stark in particular led with energy, vision, and a clear belief in the people around him.
The corporate travel side of the business was well-resourced, well-led, and gave commercial leaders real authority to build relationships, win and retain accounts, and grow their portfolios. The systems, training, and operational support were enterprise-grade. Working with marquee global accounts gave me commercial experience that has stood the test of time.
In a long career across multiple companies, only the culture at Protea Hotels Hospitality Group in South Africa came close to what Flight Centre offered.
Svantaggi
The pace can be demanding — Flight Centre is a high-performance environment and not for everyone. Expectations are high and the commercial bar is set accordingly. For people who thrive in that environment, it's energising; for others, it can feel intense.