Qantas Group chief executive Alan Joyce has brought forward his retirement, following a dire few weeks for the business.
Today marks Mr Joyce’s last day on the job, following 22 years with the airline, 15 of those in the top job.
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This means incoming CEO Vanessa Hudson will begin in the role as Managing Director and Group CEO from Wednesday, September 6.
Qantas has been plagued with bad press recently, with the airline allegedly selling tickets on ghost flights, steeping flight and cancellation prices and problems with flight credits.
In a statement to the ASX, Mr Joyce said it was “clear” to him that the company needed to move ahead with its renewal plan.
“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,” Mr Joyce said.
“There is a lot I am proud of over my 22 years at Qantas, including the past 15 years as CEO. There have been many ups and downs, and there is clearly much work still to be done, especially to make sure we always deliver for our customers.
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“But I leave knowing that the company is fundamentally strong and has a bright future.”
Qantas chairman Richard Goyder said thanked Mr Joyce in the statement for his service and is now focused on “restoring the public’s confidence”.
“Alan has always had the best interests of Qantas front and centre, and today shows that,” Mr 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.”