Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG) has welcomed back a familiar face, with Melissa Armstrong stepping into the role of Global Leisure People Partner.
Returning after an eight-year hiatus, Armstrong brings experience from roles at Woolworths Group, Elston and Harcourts International.
FCTG Global Leisure CEO James Kavanagh said Armstrong’s blend of internal insight and external perspective makes her a valuable asset as the group continues to evolve its people-first approach.
“At Flight Centre, we really pride ourselves on having a ‘leave the key under the mat’ mindset when it comes to returning flighties, and Mel is someone we have welcomed back with open arms,” he said.
“Mel is a Flightie through and through, so she understands our culture; but I’m particularly excited to see the impact she has on our people pillar in the leisure business and the learnings she can bring from her time outside the organisation.
“Our people are our greatest asset, so finding the right person to step into this role was key, and I’m incredibly confident in Mel’s ability to spearhead our people strategy as we look to invest in the employee experience this coming year.”
Armstrong also previously led GoldMind, an in-house learning and development initiative she founded during her earlier FCTG tenure.
“I left Flight Centre on a high after launching GoldMind, and I’m thrilled to return to a future-focused company that encourages innovation, always with people at the centre – a vision I share,” she said.
“It’s back to where the adventure began – I started my people and culture career here and I can’t wait to make an impact in this next chapter.”
With the appointment, Armstrong succeeds Allisa O’Connell, who was recently added as FCTG Global Head of People and Culture.
Flight Centre Travel Group is a 2025 certified Great Place to Work.
Earlier this month, Flight Centre Travel Group staged its annual Flichella 2025 event, welcoming 4,000 Flighties from around Australia along with key suppliers to the Brisbane Showgrounds. Read our wrap of the event here.
Following this, FCTG’s all-stars convened in Los Angeles from 11–13 July for Global Gathering 2025, taking over LA with a stellar conference and events lineup to celebrate its people. Read more about that here.
