Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG) has doubled down on AI and digital commerce, announcing two executive appointments to lead the next phase of its global leisure strategy.
With the business’ flagship leisure brand, Flight Centre’s online bookings representing almost half of its total bookings, FCTG has created dedicated executive leadership to accelerate growth.
Christopher Steiner who formerly led the global leisure product management & engineering division as chief experience officer has been appointed as Chief AI Officer (CAIO) while ex-Jetmax general manager Rob New has been appointed head of digital Commerce.
FCTG global leisure CEO James Kavanagh said the appointments reflected the scale of the opportunity in front of the business.
“Customer expectations are being reshaped in real time by AI, and the economics of online and person-to-person travel are shifting with them.
“To invest and grow at the speed this deserves, you need people who wake up thinking about nothing else.”
“Chris and Rob are exactly who you want leading a transformation like this.”
Steiner will lead the agentic accelerator program, focused on transforming the global leisure operating model into an AI powered productivity engine.
“The deployment of AI Agents will make our people sharper, faster and better informed and that is what the agentic model is designed to do across every one of our leisure brands and functions,” said Steiner.
New will bring together the ecommerce platforms and capabilities that power how customers discover, book and manage travel across FCTG’s digital portfolio.
“We have an extensive collection of brands and a significant digital footprint.
“This role is about unlocking what that portfolio can do when it operates as one connected commercial engine,” said New.
