FLIGHT Centre Travel Group has today announced that long-serving senior leader Tom Walley will take the reins as the new Global Managing Director of SME specialist division Corporate Traveller.
Having started with the group over two decades ago, Mr Walley has worked across the company’s corporate and leisure divisions in both the UK and Australia, primarily in management roles, and he will also retain his current position of General Manager for Corporate Traveller in Australia.
“I’ve been a passionate advocate for this fantastic brand for more than 10 years and I’m delighted to move into a role that will focus on Corporate Traveller being a leader for SMEs, not just in Australia, but across the globe,” Mr Walley said.
“We already have an incredibly strong basis with more than 1,500 team members globally across all sectors and we’re the dominant player in the SME travel space in Australia with over 4,000 customers, and more than 16,000 globally.”
Success has been at the very core of Mr Walley’s stewardship with dozens of new customers boarding Corporate Traveller in recent years, resulting in multi-million-dollar deals.
This has been complemented by a strong Net Promoter Score that has always sat well above the ‘world-class’ standard of 80 per cent.
“We have an ambitious target of welcoming $1 billion (USD) of new customers in the 2023 financial year globally and there are three things that will help us achieve this goal – our people, the great service they provide, and our investment in technology” he said.
“This is the blended approach that has been part of our winning fabric from the very beginning.
“Over the years, we’ve spent tens of millions of dollars in ensuring our technology is industry-leading and that it provides the best possible experience for our customers and we’re truly excited about some of the advancements that will be coming throughout 2022.
“This is complemented by our culture because we believe in putting our people first, giving them ownership, then relying on them and their entrepreneurial skills to deliver the most outstanding customer service – we automate the simple so our people can shine in the complex.
“Corporate Traveller is focused solely on providing the right-sized solutions for the SME market and we have a tremendous opportunity to advance the brand across the world in the coming years and backed by the power of Flight Centre Travel Group, the future is incredibly exciting.”
CEO Corporate Travel Chris Galanty said Mr Walley was the perfect candidate to navigate Corporate Traveller through the post-pandemic world and beyond.
“Tom is incredibly well-known across the business as he’s one of our most experienced senior leaders, having held senior positions in both Australia and the UK for over a decade,” Mr Galanty said.
“He’s been a member of various global senior leadership teams and most importantly he’s led the Corporate Traveller business in both the UK and Australia and understands both the history and future of the brand.
“The purpose of this role is to work with the Corporate Traveller Global Management team to execute the business strategy and deliver the capability to ensure it succeeds in the eyes of our customers.
“Tom has been a key member of the team that has created a highly successful strategy in the Australian market over the last two years and he is determined to see Corporate Traveller become the global category leader in SME business travel.
“Corporate Traveller is very customer centric, and our people have been the driver of its success for many years. Tom’s new role will further our ability to offer the best service, products, and technology possible.”
