Former Virgin boss Jayne Hrdlicka to return to public eye as Endeavour Group CEO

Former Virgin Australia boss Jayne Hrdlicka is not about to disappear from the public eye, with a new role at liquor and hotels giant Endeavour Group.

Former Virgin Australia chief executive Jayne Hrdlicka is set to dive back into corporate life after being named as the new boss of hotels and liquor giant Endeavour Group.

Ms Hrdlicka will officially start in the role on January 1 with executive chairman Ari Mervis to continue running the company until that time.

A statement from Endeavour, which owns Dan Murphy’s and BWS, said prior to commencement, Ms Hrdlicka will make herself available to meet frequently with the company.

Before leaving Virgin Australia in March, Ms Hrdlicka made it clear she wanted a break from work to help support her youngest son through his final year of school.

Her appointment to Endeavour follows a global search in the wake of former CEO Steve Donohue’s resignation last September.

Mr Donohue left in March after 30 years with Endeavour, including six as CEO during which the company was separated from Woolworths and listed on the ASX.

In recent years, he clashed with Endeavour’s largest shareholder the Mathiesons.

Bruce Mathieson Snr made it well known he was unhappy with Endeavour’s direction and financial performance, labelling the leadership a “disaster” for moving too slowly to arrest declining sales.

In February, the Endeavour Group reported a $298m net profit for the six months to December, down 15.1 per cent on the previous corresponding period.

On Tuesday, Bruce Mathieson Jnr revealed Endeavour had not sought out his views before a new CEO was chosen, but said he was “encouraged” by Ms Hrdlicka’s appointment.

“We worked with Jayne while she was a director of Woolworths and it was a constructive and prosperous time,” said Mr Mathieson.

Jayne Hrdlicka at the Australian Open in January. Picture: James D. Morgan/Getty Images

Ms Hrdlicka described Endeavour as an “extraordinary company with an unmatched portfolio of brands and assets” including more than 1700 BWS and Dan Murphy’s stores and 340 pubs and wineries.

The group also has a workforce almost five times the size of Virgin Australia, with more than 30,000 employees.

“I have a long history with Endeavour’s retail and hotel businesses, initially as a consultant to Woolworths, including on their early liquor strategy, and then as a Woolworths Group board member,” said Ms Hrdlicka.

“Endeavour Group has much to play for. I look forward to working with the 30,000 plus team members and together, continuing to deliver for millions of valued customers as we look to grow the company and unlock value for all of our shareholders.”

It’s a significant appointment for Ms Hrdlicka, who endured a turbulent time at Virgin after she was brought in by US owners Bain Capital to replace Paul Scurrah in late 2020.

In early 2024, it was announced Ms Hrdlicka would leave Virgin as the airline struggled with operational performance and seemed unable to launch an IPO.

But in the 12 months that followed, Ms Hrdlicka oversaw a strong annual profit, a big improvement in on-time performance and a major deal with Qatar Airways, she described as “a career highlight”.

She departed in March, after former chief commercial officer Dave Emerson was named as her successor.

Mr Mervis said the Endeavour board was “delighted to have secured such a highly capable leader” after an extensive global search.

“Jayne has a proven track record leading consumer-facing businesses to success. She has led many complex organisations and delivered significant shareholder value by capturing the true potential of a company’s brands and assets,” he said.

“The board believes Jayne is the ideal candidate to lead Endeavour Group through its next phase of both growth and transformation.”

Former Virgin CEO Jayne Hrdlicka will take on the top job at Endeavour Group currently being run by executive chairman Ari Mervis. Picture: Jane Dempster

She will be paid $2m a year at Endeavour, with the prospect of another $3m in short term bonuses and up to $4m if long term goals are met.

Since Mr Donohue’s resignation, Endeavour shares have fallen 24 per cent. On Tuesday the share price was largely unmoved following the CEO announcement, closing up 0.5 per cent at $4.03.

Prior to her Virgin role, Ms Hrdlicka was CEO for the A2 Milk Company and previously worked for Qantas, heading up Jetstar and then its loyalty division.

The 63-year-old began her career as a management consultant, firstly in the US and then Australia, with global firm Bain and Company.

She rose to senior partner, and between 1999 and 2004 worked with a range of clients, including Woolworths.

In one of her last interviews before leaving Virgin, Ms Hrdlicka said she was “looking forward to having a break to really rest up” after an intense four years at the airline.

At the start of the year, it was revealed Ms Hrdlicka had paid $16.9m for a much sought after Noosa Heads beach house with sweeping views of Laguna Bay.

She also holds the role of Tennis Australia chair, with her second three-year term due to end later this year.

It’s unknown if she will seek a third term, but Ms Hrdlicka has previously said there was much work to do to help tennis become more resilient globally.

Originally published as Former Virgin boss Jayne Hrdlicka to return to public eye as Endeavour Group CEO