Qantas Group’s current CEO Alan Joyce will bring forward his retirement by two months to help the company accelerate its renewal, paving the way for CEO designate Vanessa Hudson to assume the role of managing director and group CEO effective September 6, 2023.
Joyce said: “In the last few weeks, the focus on Qantas and events of the past make it clear to me that the company needs to move ahead with its renewal as a priority.
“The best thing I can do under these circumstances is to bring forward my retirement and hand over to Vanessa and the new management team now, knowing they will do an excellent job.”
In a press statement, Qantas chairman Richard Goyder noted that Joyce “always had the best interests of Qantas front and centre”, and thanked him for his leadership “through some enormous challenges”.
Goyder said: “This transition comes at what is obviously a challenging time for Qantas and its people. We have an important job to do in restoring the public’s confidence in the kind of company we are, and that’s what the Board is focused on, and what the management under Vanessa’s leadership will do.”
As planned, shareholders will formally vote on the appointment of Vanessa Hudson as managing director at Qantas’ Annual General Meeting in November.
With Joyce’s advanced retirement, one of the executive changes announced in June this year will also be accelerated, namely the appointment of Rob Marcolina as the group’s chief financial officer and Hudson’s transition to the group CEO role.
