Qantas Unveils Replacement for Retiring Chief Joyce

Qantas chief executive officer Alan Joyce speaks during a press conference in Sydney, Australia, on Feb. 23, 2017. (William West/AFP via Getty Images)

Alan Joyce will retire as head of Qantas after 15 years at the helm to be replaced by the national carrier’s financial chief.

The airline announced on Tuesday that the role of chief executive and managing director would go to chief financial officer Vanessa Hudson once Joyce retires in November.

Qantas chairman Richard Goyder said the appointment came after a rigorous selection process and allowed for a smooth transition following Joyce’s long tenure.

“Vanessa has a deep understanding of this business after almost three decades in a range of roles both onshore and offshore, across commercial, customer and finance,” he said.

“She has a huge amount of airline experience, and she’s an outstanding leader.”

Goyder also paid tribute to the outgoing chief executive’s leadership, saying he had left the airline well-positioned and in a strong financial position.

“Much of the credit for the bright future in front of Qantas goes to Alan,” Goyder said.

Joyce said he had extended his time as Qantas’s chief executive at the board’s request to see through the airline’s COVID-19 recovery plan.

“Now that we’re on the other side of that crisis, it’s a logical time for me to step down,” he said.

Hudson has served as the airline’s chief financial officer since 2019 and has filled a series of Qantas executive roles during her almost-30-year career at the carrier.

She said it was an honour to be asked to lead the airline and was focused on delivering for customers, employees and shareholders.

RBC Capital Markets analyst Owen Birrell said Hudson was the logical choice as the most suitable and appropriate candidate.

“She has been involved in developing group strategy for the last five years and also led the fleet selection process in 2022 for the renewal of the domestic jet aircraft fleet,”  Birrell said.

Her market-facing job as the airline’s chief financial officer since October 2019 will have prepared her well for the “very public” role as Qantas CEO, he added.

Joyce, who was born in Ireland, took the helm at Qantas in November 2008 after previously heading its budget subsidiary, Jetstar.

He has been credited with helping to turn around the airline’s fortunes, including the delivery of soaring profits after it emerged from the aviation doldrums of the COVID pandemic.

But his tenure attracted controversy for his battles with unions, including over the 2020 decision to outsource the jobs of about 1600 ground crew.

The Federal Court found the pandemic-era move was illegal, a decision the airline has appealed to the High Court.