The Flight Centre Travel Group (FLT) has appointed Michelle Degenhardt as its global sustainability officer.

In the newly created role, Michelle will work closely with FLT’s people at all levels to help ensure the company’s business practices are economically, environmentally and socially sustainable.

She will collaborate with FLT’s senior leadership team, employees, leisure and corporate customers, suppliers and other stakeholders to further develop and oversee the execution of strategies to deliver on the organisation’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) objectives.

Michelle is based in FLT’s global head office in Brisbane, Australia and will report to Brett Anderson, FLT’s global head of risk and sustainability.

“Sustainability is an area that is extremely important to our company, our people and our leisure and corporate customers,” FLT managing director Graham Turner said.

“While we have always had a strong commitment to operating sustainability, as evidenced by the vast array of programmes and initiatives that are deeply embedded within our organisational culture, we are committed to enhancing our record in the future.

“Michelle’s appointment to this newly created role underlines this commitment and follows the release of our first sustainability report.”

Michelle has worked for FLT for 17 years and was formerly the company’s culture and employee engagement leader, a role that included oversight of the Flight Centre Foundation in Australia.

During her career with FLT, she has also been involved in a number of sustainability-related issues and areas, including the development of the company’s Responsible Travel charter and the creation of a head office recycling and waste reduction programme.

Alongside Flight Centre Travel Group’s sustainability commitments and initiatives, the company’s corporate travel division has made sustainability a core pillar of its customer offerings. With a client base spanning SMEs through its Corporate Traveller brand to enterprise corporations managed by FCM, their respective booking platforms and services have been designed to inform and help clients make decisions around environmental travel options.

The appointment is effective immediately and comes as the company, which is a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact, ramps up its corporate social responsibility efforts.