Graham “Skroo” Turner, Global Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer
Graham Turner, Chief Executive Officer, appointed to FCTG board 1995
Graham “Skroo” Turner worked as a vet in western Victoria before moving to London. In London, he and friend Geoff “Spy” Lomas, both of whom were working as vets, took their first steps into the travel industry in 1973 when they invested the equivalent of $A1300 in an ageing bus and started operating budget double-decker bus trips around Europe, North Africa and Asia.
Skroo’s initial involvement with Top Deck ended in the mid 1980s, when he and his colleagues sold the business to management and devoted their full attention to Flight Centre, a business that had less than 30 shops at that time.
As the long serving chief executive officer and managing director of the public company that grew from the small band of Flight Centre shops, Skroo has since presided over a golden era of growth and prosperity for Flight Centre Travel Group Limited.
Chris Galanty, CEO – Corporate
Chris Galanty began his career in Flight Centre’s Putney store as a Consultant. That was 1997, during its start-up phase when the company had under 10 shops in the UK, around 20 staff.
Since then, Chris has progressed through the company working as a Store Manager then subsequently as an Area Manager and General Manager. In 2004, he was appointed Managing Director of Leisure and in 2007 Managing Director of Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG) UK. In 2009, Chris also took on responsibility for FCTG Limited's South Africa market. Then in 2016, Chris was appointed as the Managing Director Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), which encompasses nine brands with a collective turnover of £2.2bn and employs over 3200 people.
Today, Chris is a key member of FCTG’s global executive leadership team in his current role as the Chief Executive Officer of Corporate and is responsible for FCTG’s growth in the corporate travel sector globally.
Adam Campbell, Chief Financial Officer
Adam Campbell became Flight Centre Travel Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in August 2015, after previously serving for a number of years as the company's Australian CFO.
Since his appointment, Adam has worked closely with Global Managing Director and CEO Graham "Skroo" Turner, the Board and other members of the global taskforce to spearhead a number of key business initiatives.
During this time, Adam has also overseen a period of significant cultural and environmental change both within the finance community and beyond. Adam is passionate about the commercial and strategic role of finance, the importance of robust governance and risk frameworks and the need to constantly reinvent yourself as a company, a function and an individual.
Melanie Waters-Ryan, CEO – Supply
Melanie Waters-Ryan began her career with Flight Centre in Brisbane as a Consultant in 1987. Since then, Melanie has progressed through the company working as a team leader for various stores and held a number of management roles including National Training Manager, Land Leader, Global Human Resources Manager and Executive General Manager roles across various leisure, wholesale and people and culture divisions.
In 2012, Melanie was appointed as Flight Centre Travel Group’s (FCTG) Chief Operating Officer (COO). Concurrently, Mel was also appointed as Managing Director (MD) Australia which she held for 4 years. As COO, Mel was responsible for the global air and land businesses, IT and digital functions of FCTG globally, as well as The Americas and Asia regions reporting to her.
Today, Melanie oversees the key global area of supply, which consists of the company's:
- Leisure and corporate supply businesses
- In-destination and air businesses; and
- External distribution (wholesale) businesses
This area was created during the 2022 fiscal year, when the company split its leisure and supply businesses into two distinct areas. Prior to that, Melanie was CEO of the combined leisure and supply area.
James Kavanagh, CEO – Leisure
James Kavanagh began his travel career as a consultant in Dublin in 1997 at Corporate Travel Partners (now FCM) after completing the IATA/UFTAA advanced diploma in Travel & Tourism. He went on to spend a number of years at Carlson Wagonlit Travel in operations and account management and also lectured the Travel & Tourism diploma at college in Ireland.
In 2004, he joined the Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG) and rapidly progressed his career through roles in account management to Operations Leader, and in 2009 he became the General Manager of FCTG’s corporate division Queensland.
In 2013 he became the National General Manager of FCM Travel Solutions and he went on to become the Executive General Manager of FCTG’s corporate brands (FCM Travel Solutions, Corporate Traveller, Stage and Screen and cievents) in 2018. During this time the corporate business grew to become the largest TMC in Australia winning many accolades. During the 2022 fiscal year, James was appointed CEO of the global leisure business.
Steve Norris, MD Europe, Middle East and Africa
Steve Norris began his career with Flight Centre as Store Manager in 2002. Since then, he has progressed from Store Manager to heading up land product.
In an upward trajectory, Steve became the UK Marketing Director in 2007, General Manager of Flight Centre Brand UK in 2009 and then Managing Director of Corporate in 2011 for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).
Steve is now the Managing Director for Flight Centre Travel Group EMEA and a key member of FCTG’s global executive leadership team
Charlene Leiss, MD The Americas
Charlene Leiss joined Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG) during the Boston-based Garber’s Travel Service acquisition by FCM Travel Solutions in 2007.
During her time at Garber’s Travel Service and later FCM Travel Solutions, Charlene headed up the FCM’s Travel Manage Services (TMS) as Vice President Sales. As a highly successful business leader, Charlene was appointed to President for corporate brands USA in 2015.
Charlene is now the Managing Director for FCTG United States of America and key member of FCTG’s global executive leadership team.