Virgin Australia announces a new chief executive to replace Jayne Hrdlicka
Aussie airline’s new chief executive has emerged after a frontrunner was knocked out after union and government pressures.
Virgin Australia has revealed its new chief executive a year after Jayne Hrdlick announced she was leaving.
The announcement that Dave Emerson will take over came as Ms Hrdlicka revealed the airline recorded half year underlying earnings of $439m off $3bn in revenue.
In a separate statement, Ms Emerson said it had been a “huge privilege to lead Virgin Australia, and I could not be more proud of how much we have achieved together as a team.”
“It is now the perfect time to transition leadership for this next chapter. Dave is an excellent choice to succeed me as CEO,” she said.
Mr Emerson will step into the position with 25 years of experience in the aviation industry having worked with Bain & Co before being appointed Virgin’s chief commercial officer in 2021.
“I have experienced first-hand the remarkable journey over the past four years as we have reinvented Virgin Australia,” Mr Emerson said.
“I will continue the transformation journey begun under Jayne’s outstanding leadership,” he continued.
Like his predecessor, Mr Emerson was raised in the US where he studied arts, communications and media at Stanford University before completing his MBA at University of Chicago Booth Business School.
Mr Emerson said he was “humbled by the opportunity to lead the airline and its 8000 strong team”.
Mr Emerson rose to succession after frontrunner Paul Jones withdrew following union and government pressures.
Concerns were raised by the Transport Workers Union and Employment Minister Murray Watt about the chief customer and digital officer’s involvement in the 2020 Qantas unlawful outsourcing scandal.
If Mr Jones had been appointed CEO, Virgin had risked losing TWU backing for their partnership with Qatar Airways.
The Albanese late in February approved Qatar Airways’ bid to acquire a 25 per cent stake in Virgin Australia, which will enable more Aussies to travel around the world for less.
The deal opens the way for Virgin to lease planes and staff from the Qatari airline and compete on routes to and from Australia and Doha, beginning in June.
Virgin Australia chairman Ryan Cotton said he was satuisfied with the appointment of Mr Emerson as CEO.
“After a global search, it was clear that Dave is the right leader to continue the implementation of Virgin Australia’s strategy,” Mr Cotton said.
He commended Mr Emerson’s appreciation for “what is special about Virgin Australia – our team and our people”.
“Dave will not miss a beat in leading continued strong performance and growth across our business,” he said.
Mr Cotton went on to thank Ms Hrdlicka for her “exceptional leadership” and contributions to the company.
“Jayne has been tireless in her mission to lead this company back to greatness,” he said.
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