Taking off for London

By STEVE HART

Shane Parlato is as jovial as ever when I meet him at what can only be described as the functional but lively offices at Flight Centre in Auckland.

With his mobile phone in hand - the company prefers to give office staff mobiles rather than use landlines - Parlato is mentally packing his bags. The company's New Zealand marketing manager is preparing to fly to Britain to add his no-nonsense touch to the company's marketing exploits.

"It needs a bit of a boost," he admits candidly.

He is keen to talk, about anything other than himself, such is his character. But beneath the surface of this straight-talking farmer's son from Foxton is a clever mind. Ideas and opinions come thick and fast like rounds from a machine gun.

He's a fast talker and I can't nod or shake my head quick enough to what he has to say about the travel industry and the challenges of attracting good staff to work in the company's branches.

"Where are the young people who want to work hard and do well?" he asks, rhetorically.

Natural pauses in which to ask a question are few and far between but eventually it's my turn. Someone hands him a takeaway coffee with the words "crazy guy" written in pen on the plastic lid and, while he reads it and pierces the lid with his pencil to create an air hole, I seize my opportunity.

Parlato left school at 16 to serve hamburgers and pump petrol in Wellington before becoming a shelf-filler at a New World supermarket.

"I progressed to buyer at the store in four years just by working hard - something my dad instilled into me from a young age."

He also had a stint at training to become a motor mechanic before leaving for Australia to work on a cotton farm. "I gave up the training as soon as I discovered that fixing cars was more to do with electronics than mechanics."

Parlato is a stocky chap with steely blue eyes that seem to be permanently asking questions. He joined Flight Centre in 1998 and his CV, if he has one, would be a bit thin on formal qualifications.

But he is a ray of hope for young people in a world where most parents insist they get a university degree. His success is mostly as a result of his down-to-earth, can-do/will-do attitude.

"I try to identify opportunities or see that something needs doing and get on with it."

Flight Centre allows people with an entrepreneurial flair to shine because of its open-minded hiring practices.

"If people can demonstrate a persuasive attitude and a determination to succeed then Flight Centre will give them a chance," says Parlato.

"The company wants people who will fit in, do the job well and get results. Part of our philosophy is that 'what gets rewarded gets done' and that helps people to focus on what is profitable for them."

Individual success is measured not on subjective matters - which are almost impossible to quantify - but on results. The company believes profit is the best measure of success.

The 32-year-old's first job with Flight Centre was selling flights to students in Queensland. It was during his induction to work at the Flight Centre-owned Student Flight shop (a brand not seen in New Zealand) that he used a computer for the first time.

"We never had computers at my school and I never used one in any of the jobs I had," said Parlato. "Then all of a sudden I am sitting in front of a computer, booking people's holidays and flights. But the company's training schemes are very good. People who train and succeed with us can work anywhere."

He quickly noticed that the Student Flight brand - which had four Australian outlets in 1998 - was not getting the promotion he thought it deserved.

In Flight Centre terms, no promotion means no customers. And without customers, sales targets are not met and bonuses not earned. Everyone is employed on a basic salary with the possibility of earning bonuses. Parlato says top salespeople can earn around $100,000 a year under the bonus scheme.

"I wanted to get my bonus so I started publicity campaigns independent of the company to raise my branch's profile," said Parlato. "At the same time I was telling head office that it should be doing more for the Student Flight shop profile."

After rising through the ranks to branch manager, two years later he was promoted to work in Brisbane as marketing manager for Student Flights, which now has 27 stores. In 2002 he returned to New Zealand to head up Flight Centre's marketing operation.

"I'm now known as the two-year man," says Parlato, who was offered a transfer to Vancouver last year but declined, saying the timing wasn't right. "I still had work to do here. But now I am looking forward to working in Britain. I was really surprised to be offered a position in London. I actually had a feeling I might be going to Australia again. Europe offers some great opportunities."

The company has 100 Flight Centre branches in Britain and while Parlato says the businesses are sound, the staff there need a little Kiwi guidance on marketing, promotion and enhancing the company's profile in what is a strong market.

"There's plenty of work to be done as the competition is really tough. But by keeping having good communication with all the staff on the way things should be done we should see results quite quickly."

He puts his success down to planning, and boasts that he already knows what he'll be doing on Boxing Day. And he's already thinking years into the future.

"I will definitely return to New Zealand, maybe I'll be back as general manager of Flight Centre New Zealand in two to four years' time."

* Our feature on work place drug testing will be published next Wednesday.