Jetstar CEO to lead innovation at Qantas in airline exec shake-up

A major reorganisation of Qantas Group’s executive team will see the CEO of Jetstar Group lead innovation and digital at Qantas.

Jayne Hrdlicka will move from the CEO role at subsidiary Jetstar to become CEO of Qantas Loyalty and Digital Ventures – which will now include responsibility for innovation – the company announced today.

Hrdlicka is one of seven new direct reports to Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce.

She’ll take responsibility for the national carrier’s AVRO tech accelerator, which was announced in March, and took on its first cohort of six start-ups and six scale-ups in June.

Olivia Wirth, currently group executive of brand, marketing and corporate affairs, will have customer and digital strategy added to her responsibilities.

“Over the past three years, our senior executive team has led the Group through a major turnaround. We’re now entering a phase of ongoing improvement and innovation, and these changes will help drive that,” Joyce said in a statement this morning.

“This is also about making the best use of the considerable leadership talent at the top level of our organisation,” he added.

The last change to the Qantas Group leadership team was in 2014, the company said.

Survivor

Rob Marcolina, Qantas group executive strategy, transformation and IT will remain on the new-look group management committee, which will be in place from November this year.

The technology team at the airline has already seen some significant changes over the past year. CIO Luc Hennekens left the company in September for a role in France, replaced by former SAP executive Susan Doniz.

Former William Hill IT chief Rob Jamesbegan as chief technology officer this month, replacing Chris Taylor who quit in February after being in the role since early 2014.

Last week Qantas posted an underlying profit of $1.4bn, the second largest on record after the previous year.

Group Management Committee (from November 2017)

Andrew David – CEO Qantas Domestic Freight (currently CEO Qantas Domestic)

Gareth Evans – CEO Jetstar Group (currently CEO, Qantas International Freight)

Andrew Finch – General Counsel Group Executive, Office of the CEO (currently General Counsel and Company Secretary)

John Gissing – Group Executive Associated Airlines Services (unchanged)

Lesley Grant – Group Executive, People Culture (currently CEO, Qantas Loyalty)

Jayne Hrdlicka – CEO Qantas Loyalty Digital Ventures (currently CEO, Jetstar Group)

Tino La Spina – CFO, Qantas Group(unchanged)

Rob Marcolina – Group Executive Strategy, Transformation IT(unchanged)

Andrew Parker – Group Executive Government, International and Regulatory Affairs(unchanged)

Alison Webster – CEO Qantas International (currently Executive Manager, Freight, Catering Airports)

Olivia Wirth – Chief Customer Officer (currently Group Executive, Brand, Marketing Corporate Affairs)