CEO of Qantas Loyalty Olivia Wirth resigns

Qantas’ loyalty boss Olivia Wirth has announced her resignation – just days after the airline’s chairman revealed he will step aside.

Former Qantas CEO contender and head of its loyalty arm Olivia Wirth has announced she will leave the embattled airline next year — a week after Qantas chairman Richard Goyder announced his early retirement.

Ms Wirth has been the CEO of Qantas Loyalty, which encompasses the airline’s 15 million member Frequent Flyer program, since 2018. She has been with the group for 14 years.

“Qantas has been a massive part of my professional life and I’m really grateful for the opportunities I’ve been given over the years,” Ms Wirth said in a statement issued on Monday.

“At its core, Qantas is an incredible company and brand and I’ve loved being part of it. I’m extremely proud of what the team at Loyalty has achieved and I’m looking forward to delivering more improvements for members before I leave.”

Ms Wirth has reportedly accepted a board seat at Myer, spurring speculation she would soon depart Qantas, according to the Australian Financial Review.

She has also been touted as the next head of loyalty for Crown Casino, which like Myer, is based in Melbourne, the publication reported.

Chief Executive of Qantas's loyalty business Olivia Wirth has announced she will be leaving the company. Picture: Adam Yip

Under Ms Wirth’s leadership, Loyalty expanded its presence in hotels, holidays, insurance and financial services, as well as adding 3 million members and delivering record earnings.

She will leave the group in February 2024.

A process to appoint a new CEO of Qantas Loyalty will begin shortly.

Ms Wirth was considered a strong contender to take Alan Joyce’s position when it was announced he would be leaving the company earlier this year.

But in May, Qantas revealed Vanessa Hudson would step into the role of CEO – she was the group’s chief financial officer.

Ms Wirth will leave in February 2024 to pursue other opportunities. She was at Qantas for 14 years in roles including Chief Customer Officer and Group Executive for Brand, Marketing and Corporate Affairs. Picture: AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts

She took over from Mr Joyce in September after he announced he would step down two months earlier then originally planned.

It came after criticism mounted over the blocking of Qatar airlines flights.

Ms Hudson described Ms Wirth’s contribution to the company as “enormous”.

“As CEO of Loyalty, she drove huge expansion of what the program offers and that shows in the growth in members and their engagement levels,” Ms Hudson said in a statement.

“During COVID, Loyalty was one of the few parts of our business that was able to carry on, which took a lot of hard work and imagination.”

Ms Hudson said there are “many improvements for customers in the pipeline that Olivia will continue working on with her team over the next few months”.

Qantas chairman Richard Goyder announced his early retirement last week. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

The retirement of Ms Wirth comes as the airline’s chairman Richard Goyder also announced his retirement.

He will step down before Qantas’ annual general meeting in late-2024 as part of a wider refresh.

The 63-year-old came under fire after he reportedly accepted a salary increase during a turbulent time for the airline.

His departure comes after he told a Senate inquiry he would not step aside following the departure of Mr Joyce.

Non-executive director Michael L’Estrange will also retire at this year’s AGM, with a further two members to step aside in February 2024.

Meanwhile, ex-PwC head of culture, Catherine Walsh has been appointed Chief People Officer — a newly created role.

She will join the group in January and will report to Ms Hudson.

Qantas said Ms Walsh has 25 years’ experience in human resources and industrial relations, including most recently as a “member of the new leadership team driving cultural change at PwC”.

“Several months ago we announced the Chief People Officer role to make sure the voice of our people is front and centre on the leadership team and I’m thrilled Catherine will be bringing her skills and experience to this important task,” Ms Hudson said.

“Ultimately, building a stronger culture and better relationships with our people is one of my highest priorities and a shared responsibility across management.”

“Catherine will support those collective efforts by ensuring we always value the incredible contribution our people make to this organisation and listen to their insights, especially as we welcome thousands more to the Group to support our growth.”