Number of Employees: 380 in B.C.
Head Office: Vancouver
Quote: “Job advancement at Flight Centre is easy through hard work and dedication. It pays to be a good employee”
If my company were a celebrity, it would be: ROBERTO LUONGO
“Stands firm on his principles no matter what is thrown at him or the situation”
To run a travel agency in a down market is a tough racket; to run a bricks-and-mortar operation in competition with cut-rate online agencies for an ever-shrinking travel dollar is even tougher. But for Greg Dixon, the Australian-born president of Flight Centre Canada, investment in people has been key to the company’s success. “We can sell that simple point-to-point airfare or simple sun vacations,” he explains, “but where we’re really trying to own the market is with off-the-beaten-track adventure and up-market luxury, trips that aren’t as easily transacted over the Internet, that require knowledgeable staff.” Because Flight Centre’s is a young workforce – the typical employee is in their 20s – the company augments a generous benefits package with concerted efforts toward employee development and recognition, including its “wise services” (counselling on financial, health and career matters), annual travel conferences and destination “familiarization” trips.