Former inflight product and catering specialist, Vanessa Hudson, has been announced as the next CEO of Qantas, to replace Alan Joyce when he retires in November 2023.
Hudson, who is currently the Group’s Chief Financial Officer, has worked in a number of executive positions across the Group over 28 years, including as Executive Manager, Product Services (2005 – 2010), General Manager, Inflight Services (2001 – 2005) and Catering Product Manager (1997 – 2001). Subsequently, she has held a variety of senior commercial, customer and finance roles across the Group, in Australia and overseas.
Chairman Richard Goyder said the appointment came after a rigorous selection process and allows for a smooth transition. He 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 she 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,” concluded Goyder.
