While Flight Centre Travel Group Canada's top executive remains based in Toronto, the rest of the travel agency's executive team is to be based in Vancouver, following a small shake-up.
Today's news is that longtime Vancouver-based executive Chadd Andre has been appointed executive vice-president and general manager of what the company calls "Flight Centre Brand Canada," which is essentially the company's leisure travel business.
Andre will start that role on Nov. 30, replacing Toronto-based Brian McLaren, who is leaving the company on that date to pursue other opportunities. When that happens, Andre will be the company's only executive vice-president.
Chris Lynes remains in the top job, as managing director of Canadian operations, and he is based in Toronto.
Brisbane, Australia-based Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd. (ASX:FLT) opened its North American headquarters in Vancouver in 1995. By 2009, the Vancouver-based subsidiary, dubbed Flight Centre North America, was getting too large and had a disproportionate number of its agencies based in the U.S., former Flight Centre Canada top executive John Beauvais told BIV in 2015.
The company decided to create a new Flight Centre Canada division, with a Vancouver head office, and a separate subsidiary, known as Liberty Travel USA, to be headquartered in New Jersey.
The company's Canadian division now goes by the lengthier Flight Centre Travel Group Canada, and it has corporate offices in Toronto and in Vancouver. All executives other than Lynes are set to be based in Vancouver once Andre starts his new role, according to the company.
Lynes took over from Beauvais, who left in mid-2022. Beauvais was based in Vancouver when he moved to the city to take the job in April 2015. He later moved to Toronto while still the top Flight Centre executive in Canada, according to the company.
Lynes had been with Flight Centre for many years before becoming its top Canadian executive, and had previously been based in Toronto, according to the company.
His ascension to the top job last year was the first time that the top Flight Centre executive in Canada started in that role not based in Vancouver.
The Vancouver office also includes vice-presidents Lisa Baker and Anita Emilio, as well as Mark Wilke, the CFO of Canadian operations.
The company has adjusted to the evolution of most travel bookings being online. Years ago, it had many bricks-and-mortar stores in Vancouver. Today, its only physical store in the city is a relatively new location at 2127 West 4th Avenue – appropriately next door to Vancouver-based luggage retailer Monos.
