The Qantas Group has announced a raft of senior management changes as the company readies for a handover of power to new Group CEO, Vanessa Hudson, in November 2023.
The Group Management Committee (GMC) changes include appointing a new CEO for Qantas Domestic, a new CFO, and a new Chief Customer and Digital Officer. The Group is also looking for a new CEO for QantasLink.
At the same time, it has created two new roles of Chief People Officer and Chief Risk Officer.
The changes mark a shift in focus for the Group away from recovery and towards growth, including significant investment, customer experience and human resources.
Appointments
New Qantas Domestic CEO – Current Chief Customer Officer Markus Svensson will assume control of Qantas Domestic following the retirement of current CEO Andrew David in September.
Svensson brings over ten years of experience within Qantas across revenue management, network, sales, alliances, strategy and also offshore operations.
New Chief Customer and Digital Officer – Former Chief Commercial Officer at Jetstar and current Executive Manager of Qantas Freight, Catriona Larritt, will be Chief Customer and Digital Officer.
The Group adds technology to this portfolio, looking to digital services to improve the overall customer experience. Larritt joined the Group in 2015.
New Chief Financial Officer – Rob Marcolina, current Qantas Group Executive of Strategy, People and Technology, will take the helm of finance when current CFO Vanessa Hudson is promoted to Group CEO later this year.
With the Group since 2012, Marcolina will also take responsibility for Strategy and Transformation in the CFO role.
New CEO of QantasLink – After dedicating almost 25 years to the Qantas Group, current QantasLink CEO John Gissing will retire in November.
Consequently, the Group is now searching for Gissing’s replacement, who will assume regional and some charter market operations responsibility.
New roles
Creation of a dedicated Chief People Officer – Combining human resources and industrial relations roles, this new position will oversee Qantas personnel. The Group expects to create 8,500 new jobs in Australia within the next decade.
Creation of a Chief Risk Officer – Former Qantas and QantasLink Chief Operating Officer and current Executive Manager of Safety Andrew Monaghan will step into this new role, which brings together risk management for the Group.
These positions will report to the new Group CEO, Vanessa Hudson, from November 2023.
“We have a deep bench of experience at Qantas, which means we’re able to recruit internally for many senior executive roles when they come up, and that makes transition a lot smoother,” CEO-designate Vanessa Hudson said.
“The structural changes announced today are about increasing our focus on a few key areas as we move from recovery to growth, especially when it comes to things that matter most to our people and our customers.”
Meanwhile, the next Qantas boss said the Group had “a lot of expansion planned in the years ahead that will translate into thousands of new frontline jobs”.
“Keeping our team engaged and supporting them to deliver for our customers is critical, and so is the dedicated Chief People Officer role,” she stated.
“Investing in digital is a huge part of our plans to keep improving customer experience. Through the website and app, we can put a lot of power in people’s hands to control their journey and access real-time information.”
Hudson also thanked John Gissing “for his massive contribution over nearly 25 years with us and almost 40 years in Australian aviation”.
New Group GMC structure
- Group CEO – Vanessa Hudson*
- General Counsel and Group Executive, Office of the CEO – Andrew Finch
- Chief Customer and Digital Officer – Catriona Larritt*
- Chief Financial Officer – Rob Marcolina*
- Chief Corporate Affairs Officer – Andrew McGinnes
- Chief Risk Officer – Andrew Monaghan*
- Chief Sustainability Officer – Andrew Parker
- Qantas Domestic CEO – Markus Svensson*
- Jetstar CEO – Stephanie Tully
- Qantas International CEO – Cam Wallace
- Qantas Loyalty CEO – Olivia Wirth
- Chief People Officer* – (Unfilled)
- QantasLink CEO – (Unfilled)
*new role/new to role
Last month, Qantas announced a raft of significant updates to its international network, including a big boost to services to the US and across Asia and multiple new routes.
The Qantas Group also recently unveiled updates to its long-term strategy for 2030.
Meanwhile, Qantas has revealed its entire cabin design and a world-first ‘Wellbeing Zone’ for its Project Sunrise A350s.
Qantas and Jetstar also revealed new inclusive uniforms, scrapping gender-based rules.
