Flight Centre Travel Group has appointed Tiziano (Tiz) Galipo as Global Managing Director of its specialist entertainment and sports division.
The announcement of the newly created role supports the company’s global expansion, with the division operating as Corporate Traveller Stage, Screen & Sports in five regions and Stage and Screen in Australia.
Galipo returns after a decade with Stage & Screen Australia, followed by a London-based role at Netflix.
“I couldn’t be more thrilled to return to a business that’s always had a special place in my heart,” he said.
“My role brings a focus on true globalisation, while local expert leaders drive growth in each regional market, the potential is truly exciting.”
“I was particularly drawn to this role because of its focus on setting strategic direction and long-term goals – but the people were also a huge factor in coming back. I genuinely missed the uniqueness of the Flight Centre Travel Group family and the culture the company provides its people.”
When it comes to areas of focus, Galipo flagged the US, UK and Canada as the “biggest opportunities for growth, based on the sheer size of the market”.
“We’ll certainly lean on the success the business has had in Australia,” he added.
“Having a streamlined offering across the globe will be critical to winning and creating efficiencies in each region.
“We’re excited by the complimentary impact that being a part of the Corporate Traveller family has across five of our markets, especially in relation to its world-class technology and operational procedures. But we’ll also be our own bespoke business, maintaining the ‘high touch’ approach our customers have come to know of us.”
Corporate Traveller Global Managing Director Tom Walley said Galipo’s leadership will drive the business forward on a global scale.
“We identified the need for a specialist brand within the entertainment and sports sector after great growth in the Australian market and making leaps in the six other regions of the UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa,” Walley said.
“We welcomed Tiz back to the business with open arms because of his incredible knowledge within the industry and the success he had in elevating the Stage and Screen offering in Australia many years ago – it’s a testament to the exciting opportunity in front of us and his love for the brand in having him return.
“We’ve brought him in to grow and develop the business and to globally align both the products and services to this specialised sector. Combining that with our own capabilities in each market offers an incredibly exciting vision of what the company can and will be in the future.”
Business for Flight Centre’s Stage and Screen brand has been good, with the company recently reporting a 41 per cent rise in business travel among Aussie retailers.
