FLIGHT Centre chief Gary Hogan is to quit after nine
years at the helm of the UK franchise.
The UK managing director is returning to his home city
of Brisbane to take up a new global role for the company, about which he is “still
discussing the final details”.
Hogan always said his long-term plan was to return to
Australia before his children reached high-school age.
Since its UK launch in 1995, he has expanded the
company to 100 stores nationwide and 800 staff. He also oversaw the £45.3
million acquisition of business travel agent Britannic Travel last year.
Hogan said Flight Centre would continue to grow its
retail network but now planned to kick off a new push on land-based sales such
as hotels and tour packages.
Hogan will leave in April and be replaced by Danny
O’Brien, who currently heads up corporate business for Australia and New
Zealand.
News of Hogan’s departure follows that of commercial
and marketing director Carol Dray, who has joined Lastminute.com as general
manager of its new dynamic packaging service for the trade. Flight Centre is
seeking to replace Dray and appoint someone to develop its land-based business.