New Chief Executive of QANTAS

[Greg McDonald]

From News.com.au:

QANTAS has named Alan Joyce, the head of its Jetstar offshoot, as chief executive of the airline group.
Mr Joyce becomes chief executive designate from today and will take over when outgoing chief Geoff Dixon steps down after the company's annual general meeting in November.

Qantas (qan.ASX:Quote,News) chairman Leigh Clifford said Mr Joyce was an outstanding executive with wide experience in all facets of the airline industry.

"Alan will assume the role of chief executive designate from today and will also join the board of Qantas with immediate effect,'' he said.

"Geoff and Alan will work together over the next four months to ensure a smooth transition and continuity.''

Mr Dixon will remain available to Qantas on a consulting basis until March 31 next year.

Mr Joyce has been with Qantas since 2000.

He previously worked for the defunct domestic carrier Ansett and Ireland's Aer Lingus in senior management roles.

"Alan is, we believe, the best person to take Qantas forward in what is a very challenging environment,'' Mr Clifford said.

Mr Clifford praised Mr Dixon, who he said had led Qantas through numerous challenges since his appointment as chief executive in 2000.

"Qantas has successfully adapted and responded to the myriad challenges the industry has faced since 2001 and is duly recognised as one of the best managed airlines in the world,'' he added.

Meanwhile, it's been revealed that US authorities ordered airlines to check on-board oxygen cylinders just months before a huge hole was torn in a Qantas jumbo jet in mid-air on Friday, nearly causing a disaster.

Officials said an oxygen back-up cylinder is missing from the aircraft, and have ordered Qantas to inspect all such bottles on its fleet of Boeing 747s.

The Qantas Boeing 747 was flying from Hong Kong to Melbourne on Friday when an explosive bang led to a sudden loss of air pressure in the cabin.

The plane, which had originated in London and was carrying 365 passengers and crew, plunged 6,000 metres before stabilising, then made an emergency landing in the Philippines capital Manila.

An investigator from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, Neville Blyth, told reporters in Manila yesterday that an oxygen back-up cylinder was missing.

"It is too early to say whether this was the cause of the explosion,'' Mr Blyth said. "But one of the cylinders which provides back-up oxygen is missing.''

He said investigators had ruled out terrorism.

An initial inquiry would take two to three days and a preliminary report on the findings should be released in two to three months.

Qantas shares closed at $3.49 on Friday.

[Montague S]

not sure that I like battons being handed over without proper analysis being completed, if Joyce runs the show anything like Dixon then the roo will probably face bumpy skies.

[Rhys Xanthis]

How do you know a proper analysis hasn't been completed Montague?

Would a huge company like Qantas hand over the reigns of the entire company to an incapable person?

I don't think so!

edit: Bahh for cadel

[Andrew P]

Originally Posted by Montague S

not sure that I like battons being handed over without proper analysis being completed, .

do you know something we don't, has not the Qantas board gone through due diligence in appointing Joyce?

Banjo

[Montague S]

its an inhouse appointment Rhys, how do you know that all the best from across the globe have been scrutinised?

who's Joyce been guided by in his time at Jetstar & how QF operates? Dixon I suspect, how will Joyce run Qantas? same way Dixon has I suspect. seems logical to me that they'd keep things in a similar vein & that means bringing someone in who knows how Dixon operates or at the very least is prepared to operate in a similar fashion.

Qantas Board Announces CEO Succession Latest News

Sydney, 28 July 2008

The Chairman of Qantas Airways Limited, Mr Leigh Clifford, announced today that Alan Joyce would become Chief Executive Officer of Qantas upon the retirement of Geoff Dixon.

Mr Clifford said Mr Joyce, currently Chief Executive Officer of Qantas subsidiary airline Jetstar, was an outstanding executive with wide experience in all facets of the airline industry.

"Alan will assume the role of Chief Executive Designate from today and will also join the Board of Qantas with immediate effect."

Mr Clifford said Geoff Dixon would step down as Qantas Chief Executive after Qantas' Annual General Meeting on 28 November 2008.

"Geoff and Alan will work together over the next four months to ensure a smooth transition and continuity.

"Geoff will remain available to Qantas on a consulting basis until 31 March 2009."

Mr Clifford said Alan Joyce had been employed with the Qantas Group since 2000 and had previously worked for Ansett and Aer Lingus in senior management roles (see biography).

"Alan is, we believe, the best person to take Qantas forward in what is a very challenging environment.

"He will be ably supported by what the Board and I regard as a very talented team of managers throughout the Qantas Group."

Mr Clifford praised Geoff Dixon who he said, together with his team, has led Qantas through numerous challenges since his appointment as Chief Executive in 2000.

"Qantas has successfully adapted and responded to the myriad challenges the industry has faced since 2001 and is duly recognised as one of the best managed airlines in the world."

Biography - Alan Joyce

Alan Joyce is 42 years of age and has 20 years of experience in the aviation industry. He was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Jetstar in October 2003.

Prior to his appointment at Jetstar, Alan spent over 15 years in leadership positions for full service carriers Qantas, Ansett and Aer Lingus.

At both Qantas and Ansett, he led the Network Planning, Schedules Planning and Network Strategy functions. Prior to this, Alan spent eight years at Aer Lingus, Ireland's national carrier. Here he held a number of roles in Sales, Marketing, IT, Network Planning, Operations Research, Revenue Management and Fleet Planning.

As Chief Executive Officer of Jetstar, Alan's leadership has been internationally recognised. This year he won the Centre for Asia Pacific's (CAPA) Low Cost Carrier CEO of the Year award and Airline Business Magazine's Low Cost Leadership award and last year he won the Australian Airports Association award for personality of the year. In Jetstar's four year history, he has led the carrier to win CAPA's Low Cost Airline of the Year Award twice in 2005 and 2007 and Skytrax's award for Low Cost Carrier of the Year 2007, Best Low Cost Carrier Australia/Pacific 2007 and Best Cabin Crew Australia/New Zealand 2007. The carrier also won Airline Business Strategy Award for Operations in 2007.

Alan has been a member of the Qantas Executive Committee since October 2003 and a Director of both Jetstar Asia and Jetstar Pacific (Vietnam).

Born in Dublin, Alan moved to Australia in 1996 and now holds both Australian and Irish citizenship. He was educated in Ireland and has an Honours Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Science (Physics and Mathematics) and a Master of Science degree in Management Science, both awarded by the University of Dublin (Trinity College). Alan is also a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society.

Issued by Qantas Corporate Communication (3749)

http://www.qantas.com.au/regions/dyn...008/jul08/3749

[Montague S]

Originally Posted by Andrew P

do you know something we don't, has not the Qantas board gone through due diligence in appointing Joyce?

Banjo

why not Borghetti or Gregg then? I suspect its because they'd operate different to Dixon, whereas Joyce would be the most similar.

I think he's been groomed for this position long before now.

[Lukas M]

Well done to Joyce, great person for the role!

Now for the new Jetstar CEO.....

[Sarah C]

Great choice in my opinion - I have a lot of time for Joyce and the way he operates. I know a lot of people will fear that QF will become JQ but I doubt it will happen.

Interesting to see what happens with Gregg and Borghetti. Gregg might walk and Borghetti has been there for a long time. If they were going to become CEO, this was thier chance.

The replacement at JQ will be interesting too - no obvious names stick out.

Gotta say the timing of this is really odd!

[Daniel M]

Unfortunately, I fear this is is the end of Qantas as we know it, and feel deeply for the QF boys and girls. With oil prices hitting the roof and carriers looking to cut costs in any way, my best guess would be that Qantas mainline is finished with, and will slowly be morphed into a mirror of JQ, if not JQ itself, with the main part of Qantas covering the high-profit international routes. Makes sense, to run the majority of your airline as low-cost, paying your staff half the rates, and squeezing more punters into the planes to pay the bills.

Just my thoughts from observations...

[Montague S]

Originally Posted by Sarah C

Great choice in my opinion - I have a lot of time for Joyce and the way he operates. I know a lot of people will fear that QF will become JQ but I doubt it will happen.

Interesting to see what happens with Gregg and Borghetti. Gregg might walk and Borghetti has been there for a long time. If they were going to become CEO, this was thier chance.

The replacement at JQ will be interesting too - no obvious names stick out.

Gotta say the timing of this is really odd!

will Gregg & Borghetti actually work with Joyce? rumours were that they refuse to work under him..I tend to agree with Daniel on this, it will be high profit routes for QF & the rest for Jetstar.