When Paul Jones left Qantas, where he had been a senior executive in charge of freight and airports, it was not an easy farewell. With lawyers in the room, the airline conducted a thorough search of his phone and laptop. Qantas did not want to lose precious corporate knowledge.

Little did Jones, and his new employer, Virgin Australia, know that this would be just the start of the acrimony. Jones was hand-picked by Virgin chief executive Jayne Hrdlicka, who appointed him chief customer officer. He was the frontrunner in a lonely field to replace his boss when she retires, most likely after Virgin finally sells a stake to Qatar Airways.