Building culture, growth & global success: Insights from Simone Seiler

Welcome to the second edition of THE MONDAY GROUP’s Executive Insights Series, where we shine a spotlight on incredible Australian talent working within the Hospitality, Events, and Experiential Marketing sectors. 

Today, we’re joined by one of the industry’s most seasoned and inspiring leaders, Simone Seiler, Global General Manager of FCM Meetings & Events – a division of the iconic Flight Centre Travel Group. As the largest travel agency in Australia and among the top ten globally, Flight Centre has been the backdrop for Simone’s remarkable 25-year career journey. 

Simone has not only grown alongside the company, but helped shape its evolution through her visionary leadership and deep understanding of the events space. In this conversation, she reflects on her career path, what it takes to thrive in a global organisation, and her advice for the next generation of leaders carving out their own future in the industry. 

What’s kept you at Flight Centre Travel Group for over 25 years?

Hands down, the people. The people are amazing, lifelong friends as well as work colleagues. We just have a certain way about how we work with each other, putting the customer first, looking after our people, driving for results, having fun, and not taking ourselves too seriously. 

And then secondly, the opportunity to take on new challenges and grow. We call it Brightness of Future, BOF. It’s about embracing and taking control of your own destiny. 

I’ve built my career moving across leisure, product and supply, corporate, and now meetings and events. Typically, I come into businesses and drive profit improvement, performance, culture. That’s where I thrive. 

And the values, philosophies, the culture of the organisation, that’s always kept me here. 

Tell us about your role as a Global GM and your experience building out a global leadership team?

It’s been two years now as Global GM. I still look after Australia but was tasked with the reimagination and rebuild of FCM Meetings & Events globally. We’ve got a five to six-year growth plan with some big, hairy, audacious goals. 

I love learning about all the core markets: North America, Latam, Asia, India, UK, Europe; getting to know the leaders, the customers, the trends, what’s the same, what’s different. 

And building out the global leadership team has been a joy! We’ve set it up to grow sustainably, deliver profit improvement and growth while investing. Bringing people together, aiming for high-performing teams that feel empowered, have fun together, build deeper friendships, that’s a highlight for me. 

The results have been fantastic: we’ve just finished the year about 35% up in sales globally with strong double-digit profit growth. But results come after everything else. I really believe that. 

What advice would you give someone wanting to build a long-term career in events or corporate travel?

Be open to all opportunities and don’t wait for a title to decide you’re going to contribute. Do that 1% more to surprise and delight a client or do something nice for a colleague. Just embrace what’s in front of you. 

Be prepared to be a generalist unless you’re in a highly specialised role, sometimes that means working outside your responsibilities and rolling your sleeves up. 

Also, go find your own mentor. Make sure you’re connected across different levels and departments so people know who you are. It means you learn more about the business, and you never know when the next opportunity will come up. 

It’s not about cutting down others to rise above, it’s about contributing to what’s going on around you. 

Looking back, what pivotal moments have most shaped your path?

After about four years in retail, I thought, okay, I’m ready for something more. I didn’t know what it was, but there was more out there. I decided to resign, but before I did, I had a respectful conversation with my leader. They said, you don’t need to resign, come look at other parts of the business. 

That took me into head office, into product and supply. It elevated everything, broadened my knowledge. 

Later in my career, I was in the Corporate Traveller brand, doing well, but I was prepared to walk away to take on the next challenge at CI Events. If I hadn’t done that, I wouldn’t be leading FCM Meetings & Events today. 

Both times were about not being afraid to step away from something good to grow! 

What excites you most about where events, travel, and technology are heading?

AI and business strategy are one, they’re not separate. But you can’t just sprinkle AI everywhere. Focus on the part of the customer or operational journey where it gives the best return. 

We’ve launched SAM, our FCM Travel AI assistant, and FCM Meetings & Events tools like FCM Venue Finder and Reporting & Analytics. It’s about bridging travel, meetings and events, bringing together the logical, financial side with the creative, human experiences. 

What’s been your biggest leadership challenge managing a global business?

Time zones, figuring out how to be available across them all while still supporting my immediate team. To combat this we take an approach of globalise, standardise, localise. Engage the global stakeholders often, they know their regions best, they’re also the ones who’ll execute the plans. 

Sometimes a priority globally isn’t for one region, so we divide and conquer. And we’re clear on what’s in scope for our global program and strict about saying no when needed. 

This next year is big, we’re set to deliver on key projects like transitioning to a single global financial model. Once that’s done, we can look at what’s next. 

What are you most proud of recently?

Personally, joining the Flight Centre Foundation Board. Giving back to something bigger and helping create financial support for our charity partners has been huge for me. 

For FCM Meetings & Events, signing global agreements with key suppliers and tech partners, launching FCM Venue Finder with Hubli, all of it stands out. 

And then all the long-standing clients we’ve worked with for 10, 15 years, helping them reimagine their programs and being trusted to do that, that’s special. 

How do you stay grounded and balanced?

Time management. Setting clear diary boundaries. Personal training Monday mornings because the world’s still asleep..! 

I work with a coach on mindfulness, meditation, and kundalini yoga. We do long walks, travel, spend time with our kids now they’re older, and with Ace, our puggle. 

All that aside, sometimes I just sit by the fire with a book. I even book well-being days, recently I took a Monday, had lunch and a massage with my best friends. No one else will do that for you. 

Finally, what does the future look like for FCM Meetings & Events under your leadership?

Growth, growth, growth. We’ve got our five to six-year plan — new markets like South Africa and UAE, potential M&A. We’re on track to deliver! 

And if you had one wish for the global events and corporate travel industry?

We’ve absolutely learned enough from 2019–2021 to keep thriving through whatever challenges lie ahead. 

The reinvigoration of our industry has been so personal for so many people. It’s critical we keep working together to keep that alive. 

About FCM Meetings & Events

FCM Meetings & Events is the global events powerhouse within the Flight Centre Travel Group – Australia’s largest travel agency and one of the top ten travel companies in the world. 

With a footprint that spans over 17 countries, FCM Meetings & Events delivers strategic, seamless, and deeply human experiences at every scale – from intimate leadership retreats to complex international conferences, brand activations, and incentive programs. Their difference lies not just in execution, but in vision: combining the reach of a global network with boutique-style creativity and personalised service. 

Backed by 25+ years of event expertise, cutting-edge technology, and a deeply collaborative team, FCM M&E partners with organisations to create experiences that spark connection, drive results, and stay remembered long after the lights go down. 

If you’re ready to reimagine what’s possible in business events – they’re the team to do it with.  

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Need an expert insider to build a powerhouse team like FCM Meetings & Events, or to get your foot in the door with Australia’s most exciting organisations? Let’s talk.