Key Points
- Qantas has announced CEO Alan Joyce will retire two months early.
- Joyce was scheduled to step down in November, but has moved the date forward to Wednesday.
- Vanessa Hudson will assume the role from 6 September.
Joyce said he will leave the post he has held since 2008 "to help the company accelerate its renewal".
CEO designate Vanessa Hudson will assume the role of managing director and group CEO effective 6 September 2023.
It comes after, which has been marked by a Senate grilling on delays, a potential $250 million fine, and the revelation Joyce had received more than $10 million worth of shares.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is taking court action after the carrier allegedly advertised tickets for flights that had already been cancelled.
“In the last few weeks, the focus on Qantas and events of the past make it clear to me that the company needs to move ahead with its renewal as a priority," Joyce said in a statement.
“The best thing I can do under these circumstances is to bring forward my retirement and hand over to Vanessa and the new management team now, knowing they will do an excellent job."
Qantas Chairman Richard Goyder said Joyce had "always had the best interests of Qantas front and centre".
“This transition comes at what is obviously a challenging time for Qantas and its people," Goyder said.
"We have an important job to do in restoring the public’s confidence in the kind of company we are, and that’s what the Board is focused on, and what the management under Vanessa’s leadership will do."
This is a developing story and this article will be updated.
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