Some companies talk about culture the way politicians speak about vision, with lots of words and little evidence. Then there’s TravelManagers, quietly showing the rest of us that you can still run a business where people actually enjoy turning up to work.
In a few weeks, the company will have pocketed two of the most respectable nods you can get for treating your staff decently: a Great Place to Work® Certification and a win at the 2025 National Travel Industry Awards for Most Outstanding Employee Engagement and Recruitment Program.
Now, for anyone who’s ever worked under flickering fluorescent lights while someone talks about “synergy” and “KPIs”, that’s worth pausing over. Because here’s a company doing the unthinkable, mixing profitability with humanity, and making it look effortless.
How They Did It
TravelManagers’ Chief Operating Officer, Grant Campbell
TravelManagers’ National Partnership Office, the support hub behind hundreds of personal travel managers across Australia, scored a staggering 96% Trust Index rating in its Great Place to Work® assessment. That’s not a typo. Ninety-six. The average Australian company sits around 60, and that’s on a good day with free doughnuts.
Chief Operating Officer Grant Campbell is proud, but in his measured, quietly Australian way.
“Our ranking with Great Place To Work® puts us well above the national average,” he said. “When viewed alongside our NTIA award, it affirms our reputation for excellence in employment, engagement, and culture.”
He doesn’t speak in corporate clichés. You get the impression he means it. And that, perhaps, is the secret: there’s a rare authenticity about this outfit.
Beyond the Buzzwords
“Culture” is one of those words that gets tossed around boardrooms like a beach ball. But according to Sarah Lewis-Kulin, Vice President of Global Recognition at Great Place To Work®, there’s nothing fluffy about earning their certification.
“Certification is a highly coveted achievement that requires consistent and intentional dedication to the overall employee experience,” she said. “By successfully earning this level of recognition, TravelManagers stands out as one of the top companies in Australia to work for.”
Translation: your staff can smell spin from a mile away, and TravelManagers passes the sniff test.
Heart Before Hype
Campbell says the company’s success boils down to something disarmingly simple.
“Our purpose of enriching people’s lives through travel infuses every aspect of our operations,” he said. “We lead with purpose, champion our people, and focus on long-term employment.”
There’s an old-fashioned integrity to that line, the kind you don’t often hear from executives anymore. It’s less about slogans and more about how you treat people on a Wednesday afternoon when the phones stop ringing.
The Quiet Revolution
What’s striking is how TravelManagers manages to stay modern without losing its manners. In an era when “team culture” can mean a Slack channel full of emojis, they’ve created a workplace that thrives on something even rarer: trust.
Ask around, and you’ll hear the same: People feel known. Not managed, not processed, not “aligned.” Known.
That sentiment doesn’t come from HR policy but from leadership that listens. And in an industry as unpredictable as travel, where one cancelled flight can send ripples through an entire week, grounding makes all the difference.
Culture That Travels
If you’ve followed the travel trade for any time, you’ll know TravelManagers has weathered its share of storms. Through the pandemic, through border chaos, through whatever acronym came next. Yet it’s emerged not just intact but energised.
The company’s blend of independence and support has become a model for how small business networks can remain human in a digital world. These latest awards formalise what many in the industry knew: that kindness, respect, and purpose are not relics of another age but competitive advantages.
The Final Word
Campbell sums it up neatly.
“These accomplishments validate that our philosophy is bearing fruit,” he said. “It’s not just about recognition it’s about reinforcing the kind of culture that keeps good people doing great work.”
There’s a line worth underlining. In the long run, all the bonuses and beanbags in the world can’t replace what TravelManagers has rediscovered: people don’t just work for pay; they work for pride.
And that’s the real headline here: proof that good culture isn’t a cost; it’s the best investment a business can make.
By Michelle Warner – (c) 2025
Read Time: 4 minutes
About the Writer
Michelle Warner is a storyteller with jet fuel in her veins — the sort of woman who could turn a long-haul delay into a lesson in patience and prose. She began her career in media publications, learning the craft of sharp sentences and honest storytelling, before trading deadlines for departures as a flight attendant with several major airlines. Years spent at thirty thousand feet gave her a keen eye for human nature and a deep affection for the grace and grit of travellers everywhere.
Now happily grounded, Michelle has returned to her first love, writing, with the same composure she once brought to a turbulent cabin. Her work combines an editor’s precision with a traveller’s curiosity, weaving vivid scenes and subtle humour into stories that honour the golden age of travel writing. Every line is a small act of civility, polished, poised, and unmistakably human.
