Challenging the status quo has landed two senior executives at Flight Centre Travel Group (ASX:FLT)  with a spot in the finals for the upcoming CEO Magazine Executive of the Year Awards.

A year of transformation across the business has seen the achievements of Group COO, Melanie Waters-Ryan and Global CFO, Adam Campbell, acknowledged in their respective categories. Winners will be announced in Sydney on 21 November.

Campbell has been shortlisted for CFO of the Year while Waters-Ryan has been shortlisted as Executive of the Year in the Hospitality and Tourism category.

Waters-Ryan plays a pivotal role in FCTG’s long-term ‘rebrand and grow’ strategy, which in the past 12 months has included an overhaul of loss-making businesses such as Escape Travel and Cruiseabout.

Waters-Ryan describes the past year as one of the toughest in the job as she had to take on her peers, CEO Graham ‘Skroo’ Turner and the Board to challenge the way things had always been done.

“Change is never easy but we’ve been able to guide our business through some major changes without disrupting the core of our company – our unique culture,” she said.

In the same period, under the guidance of Campbell, FLT has achieved record profit and sales.

Drawing inspiration from his small-business owner father, Campbell says success to him, even as a CFO, means more than numbers and KPIs.

“For me it comes down to whether you have established a solid basis for the company to be far better in the future than it is today – and that extends beyond just profitability and shareholder return to factors such as the satisfaction of your people, sustainability and operating ethically.”

The winners of CEO Magazine’s Executive of the Year Awards will be announced at a gala dinner in Sydney on 21 November 2018.