Qantas replaces its CEO after 15 years: for the first time, a woman will lead the airline

Qantas Group announced today that Vanessa Hudson will take over as the company’s new CEO from November 2023, becoming the first woman to hold the position in the airline’s more than a hundred years history. She will replace Alan Joyce, who will retire after fifteen years in the role.

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Hudson has worked in a series of executive positions within the company for nearly three decades and currently serves as CFO. She will continue in her current role until her appointment as CEO at the 2023 Annual General Meeting, Qantas said in a press release. The company will announce her successor in the coming months.

See also: Qantas CEO criticised for salary raise despite problems faced by the company

Vanessa Hudson to take over as new Qantas CEO

Although there had previously been rumours about the possible retirement or replacement of Joyce, a benchmark in the airline industry, this is the first time Qantas has confirmed a succession plan. According to the company, the decision was made after reviewing a number of candidates, both internal and external.

Chairman Richard Goyder highlighted the outgoing CEO’s work over the past fifteen years and his stewardship during times of financial difficulties, price increases and the worst of the pandemic. In the same vein, he valued Hudson’s involvement in defining the company’s strategy and her management of the finance and treasury portfolio during the sanitary crisis.

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The new CEO will take over in a context marked by record profits on the back of a strong recovery in business. However, she will also face a reputational crisis as a result of widespread cancellations and customer service problems in recent months.

Hudson assured Qantas is working to regain the trust of customers and said it will strive to improve its relationship with the unions, which have had a tense relationship with Joyce.

Vanessa Hudson’s profile

Vanessa Hudson joined Qantas in 1994. Since then she has held a number of senior positions in commercial, financial and customer service roles, both in Australia and overseas. Her responsibilities included sales, revenue management and network planning.

She held the positions of Executive Manager of Sales and Distribution, Senior Vice President across the Americas and New Zealand, Executive Manager of Commercial Planning and Executive Manager for Product and Service, among others.

Hudson has served as CFO since October 2019. She held that position during the pandemic, when the sudden downturn in operations posed an unprecedented challenge to the industry. The company highlighted her stewardship during those months and in the recovery period that followed, when Qantas was able to raise capital and build a strong balance sheet.

«It is an absolute honour to be asked to lead the national carrier», said Hudson, who described the century-old airline as «an exceptional company full of incredibly talented people and very well positioned for the future».

The new CEO concluded: «My focus will be delivering for those we rely on and who rely on us: our customers, our employees, our shareholders and the communities we serve».

See also: Qantas recovers and reports profits for the first time since the start of the pandemic