As global Flight Centre brand CFO at Flight Centre Travel Group, Katrina Ryan understands the financial position of the travel industry better than most.
Ahead of this year’s Women in Travel awards, she chats to Travel Weekly about her biggest career lessons to date, as well as why female-only networking events are still beneficial. Read the interview here:
My career in finance has been extremely rewarding both personally and professionally. Few professions offer such a diverse range of career options and growth opportunities. I was fortunate to establish my career before starting a family, then leverage my experience to take on roles that promoted a more flexible work-life balance while expanding my knowledge and building expertise across the business. Once my children were older, I was able to step back into more challenging roles that utilise all of my experiences.
The benefit for me is that, due to the large and diverse range of business models within Flight Centre, I have been able to have five careers with a company whose culture and philosophies I align with, and within teams that share those with me.
It would have to be my most recent trip to South Africia with our executive leadership team.
I have two that resonate strongly, the importance of having the right team around you and owning your own lane.
Having both a male and female perspective is important for a balanced approach but speaking from my own experience, female-only networking groups can be beneficial as females often approach opportunities from a similar mindset or face similar challenges that can differ from those of males.
This interview is part of Travel Weekly's Women in Travel series ahead of the 2024 Women in Travel Awards. The awards celebrate women who have achieved astronomic success in their professional arenas, celebrating their invaluable contribution to the industry through leadership, innovation and courage. Read the full Travel Weekly article here.
