Qantas Group flies into a new era today as Vanessa Hudson takes over as chief executive.
Ms Hudson was due to commence in the role on November 3, but stepped up following Alan Joyce retiring earlier than planned.
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It comes after turmoil the airline faced over the past few months, heading up the last week and half.
Attention now turns to Ms Hudson, who is tasked with recovering Qantas’ reputation, the company alleged of selling tickets and ghost flights and steeping flight and cancellation prices.
Ms Hudson has worked with Qantas since 1994, beginning as an auditor and today, becomes the airline’s fourth chief executive since it was publicly listed in 1995.
She is the first woman to secure the top job, but that honour is being overshadowed with the tough task of regaining customers’ trust in the airline.
The incoming chief executive enters the role having worked in numerous departments of the airline, working her way up from catering product manager to in-flight services general manager, vice president of the America, chief customer officer and most recently, chief financial officer.
Mr Joyce’s earlier retirement on Tuesday comes after 22 years of service to the business, 15 of which he was chief executive.