Flightie Spotlight - meet dynamo Suzi Borgelt

April 16, 2026

Written by

Cris Cali

^{We spoke with dynamo Suzi Borgelt to learn about her incredible career journey at Flight Centre Travel Group.}

_{🎤𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝒅𝒊𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒋𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒚 𝒃𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒏?
In 2002 I was at a friend's place when I noticed her impressive collection of wine bottles. She explained they were Flight Centre Buzz Night awards - monthly achievement recognition. I was working in media, interested in transitioning to sales, but the business didn't internally promote. My friend's enthusiasm was infectious: "We always promote from within at Flight Centre," she told me. Sold! My background made it a natural fit - travel was in my blood. Growing up in an Air Force family, I'd lived in Malaysia, Australia and Ireland. In my 20s I taught English (and worked in a karaoke bar) in Japan. The prospect of a role where I'd be rewarded for my effort and achievements with the added bonus of travel benefits was irresistible.}

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🎤𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒓𝒐𝒍𝒆𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒅?
I started as a Travel Consultant at Ashgrove}_{Flight Centre}_{. My first customer said "We want to go to Machu Picchu. I'll take the train, but my husband will trek." It was 2002 - no Google, no idea where Machu Picchu even was! After a few support roles I ended up working in E-Commerce. We used basic systems and manual processes but over 12years transformed into a digital-first operation. I progressed through recruitment, training, and Sales Area Leader roles, plus managed Risk Management & Customer Relations teams.}

^{🎤𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒓𝒐𝒍𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒅𝒂𝒚?
After a career break during COVID I became Foundation Leader. This past year I worked with the}^{Intrepid Travel}^{Foundation to develop 𝐅𝐂𝐓𝐆 𝐆𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 - our new global fundraising platform that recently launched! It's a holistic giving model extending fundraising opportunities beyond our team to the wider public.

🎤𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒌𝒆𝒆𝒑𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒅?
No matter what challenges arise, I know that at FCTG everyone has a voice. I can share my opinions, challenge decisions, and advocate for change. There's no such thing as a career-limiting conversation here, and that openness keeps me energised.

🎤𝑾𝒉𝒐 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒇𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒆?
At home I'm Mum to my 28-year-old son, Nana to my 3-year-old granddaughter and newborn grandson, and wife to my travel-enabling husband. I'm a passionate traveller - every spare dollar goes toward the next adventure!

🎤 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕'𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 & 𝒘𝒉𝒚?
This is difficult! I love Japan, and I feel most at home in Asia. I recently returned from a women's expedition in Nepal with}^{Intrepid Travel}^{and I think it might be my new favourite destination. Nepal caught me off guard. There's something humbling about the Himalayas - sharing that experience with a group of fearless women made it feel less like a trip and more like a turning point.

What an inspiring career journey. See where a career at FCTG could take you!}

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