The Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG) has announced that from 01 August 2022 Bonnie Smith will be heading up both corporate brands under the FCTG umbrella. She will take over the reins from Oz Desai as GM of Corporate Traveller, while also retaining her position as GM of FCM.
Smith has successfully navigated the FCM brand through the COVID pandemic during the past two and a half years. Prior to that, Smith was the GM for Technology for the entire Flight Centre Group in South Africa.
Smith commented on her new appointment: “Oz Desai has built solid foundations for the Corporate Traveller brand for the past six years. He has provided incredible leadership and fulfilled his goal of ‘making travel simpler’ for our corporate clients. I’m excited to continue to build on the legacy Oz has created for Corporate Traveller.”
Desai has been appointed as Managing Director of FCM in Ireland. For this role, he will relocate from South Africa to Dublin.
He said: “After nearly six years at the helm of steering Corporate Traveller in South Africa through challenging times and promising recovery, I’m looking forward to expanding my knowledge internationally as part of the European team.”
According to Desai, Corporate Traveller South Africa couldn’t be in better hands than under Smith’s leadership. He said: “I know Bonnie will bring huge value to Corporate Traveller thanks to her expertise and technological know-how. She is sure to take both corporate brands to new heights.”
Euan McNeil, MD FCTG SA, shared his heartfelt wishes for both Smith and Desai in their new roles. He said: “We are very fortunate to have someone with Bonnie’s expertise take over the Corporate Traveller brand at a time when travel is rebounding at such a rapid rate. Her experience in both corporate travel and technology is an incredible asset to the team. I would also like to thank Oz for the incredible job he has done building the Corporate Traveller brand in South Africa over the last six years. I’d like to wish both Oz and Bonnie all the best in their new roles.”
