JOHANNESBURG, 27 JANUARY 2022 – The Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG) has made a formal commitment to ramp up its sustainability and corporate responsibility efforts in 2022. As such the group has appointed its first global sustainability officer.
Australian-based Michelle Degenhardt will lead FCTG’s sustainability drive with immediate effect in this newly created role. She will work closely with FCTG’s people at all levels to help ensure the company’s business practices are economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable.
“Sustainability is an area that is extremely important to our company, our people and our leisure and corporate customers,” FCTG managing director for South Africa Euan McNeil said.
“While we have always had a strong commitment to operating sustainability, as evidenced by the vast array of programmes and initiatives that are deeply embedded within our organisational culture, we are committed to enhancing our record in the future.”
“Michelle’s appointment underlines this commitment and follows the release of our first sustainability report earlier this year. We are excited to work together with her to further boost our sustainability efforts in South Africa.”
Based in FCTG’s global head office in Brisbane, Australia, Michelle will collaborate with the group’s senior leadership team, employees, leisure and corporate customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders to further develop and oversee the execution of strategies to deliver on the organisation’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) objectives.
Michelle has worked for FCTG for 17 years and was formerly the company’s culture and employee engagement leader, a role that included oversight of the Flight Centre Foundation in Australia. During her career with FCTG, she has also been involved in a number of sustainability-related issues and areas, including the development of the company’s Responsible Travel charter and the creation of a head office recycling and waste reduction programme.
Alongside Flight Centre Travel Group’s sustainability commitments and initiatives, the company’s corporate travel division has made sustainability a core pillar of its customer offerings. With a client base spanning SMEs through its Corporate Traveller brand to enterprise corporations serviced by FCM, their respective booking platforms and offerings have been designed to inform and help clients make decisions around environmental travel options.
