Flight Centre global head of marketing Megan Henderson has been named a finalist in the Australian Financial Review’s 2026 Women in Leadership Awards.
Henderson is a finalist in the property, retail, hospitality and tourism category, and is the sole representative from marketing or a marketing-adjacent discipline across all categories in the program.
It is a rare showing for the travel industry’s marketing ranks on a national business awards stage, and for Henderson, the nod reflects the industry and the team around her.
“The travel industry has this energy and fun factor that’s iconic and addictive,” she said.
“It’s an ever-changing industry built by resilient and irreverent people who want to band together and get good work done.”
How Flight Centre shaped her leadership
On her own leadership journey, Henderson credits Flight Centre‘s culture of development and mentorship.
“Flight Centre created really clear and encouraging career and leadership pathways, and those pathways guided me here,” she remarked.
“I was lucky enough to be surrounded by leaders and mentors who backed me and helped me see what was possible.”
Flight Centre global managing director Andrew Stark said the recognition is a proud moment for the brand.
“The AFR recognition calls out exceptional leadership, impact, and influence, all qualities Megan demonstrates every day in her role as global head of marketing for the iconic Flight Centre brand,” Stark stated.
Henderson has been a visible figure in the brand’s recent direction, including its move to give stores more autonomy on social media and the launch of training to build team members’ content skills.
KARRYON UNPACKS: A travel marketer standing as the only marketing representative across an entire AFR Women in Leadership lineup says plenty about how far the discipline’s influence now stretches inside travel businesses. It is also a timely reminder that the industry’s leadership pathways, the kind Henderson credits for her own rise, remain one of its strongest retention tools.
