The Qantas Group has announced Vanessa Hudson will become the next CEO and Managing Director, taking over from Alan Joyce when he retires in November 2023.
Vanessa Hudson is currently the Group’s Chief Financial Officer and has worked in a number of executive positions across the Group over 28 years, including Chief Customer Officer and Senior Vice President for Qantas across the Americas and New Zealand.
At the moment, Vanessa Hudson will continue in her current role while also being CEO designate and joining the Board, before taking over as the company’s 13th CEO in 103 years following the 2023 Annual General Meeting.
Vanessa Hudson, incoming CEO, said:
“It’s an absolute honour to be asked to lead the national carrier. This is an exceptional company full of incredibly talented people and it’s very well positioned for the future. 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.”
Richard Goyder, Chairman, Qantas Group, said:
“A lot of thought has gone into this succession and the Board had a number of high-quality candidates to consider, both internally and externally.
“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. She has a huge amount of airline experience and she’s an outstanding leader.
“For the past five years Vanessa has had a direct hand in shaping our strategy as a member of the Group Management Committee, and her handling of the finance and treasury portfolio during the COVID crisis was outstanding. She also led the fleet selection process in 2022 for the renewal of our domestic jet aircraft over the next decade."