“Right time to pass on the baton” says Virgin Australia CEO

February 1st 2024

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Since September last year, Australia’s three largest airlines were run by women: Qantas Group’s Vanessa Hudson, Jetstar’s Stephanie Tully and Virgin Australia’s Jayne Hrdlicka, coincidentally a former Jetstar CEO. Read More »

Earlier this month, Hrdlicka, the longest serving member of the high achieving triumvirate, announced she was stepping down, but did not name a date for her departure.

The announcement caught the industry off guard with VA quickly announcing it had commenced a global search for her successor. It had been assumed Hrdlicka would stay the distance at VA until the Bain Capital-owned airline completed its IPO. Hrdlicka was a senior Bain consultant for several years before she joined the airline industry, a decision that culminated in her appointment as Jetstar CEO after Alan Joyce moved from the LCC to the top job at Qantas Group. After several years heading Jetstar, Hrdlicka took a break from the industry to run A2 Milk, headquartered in New Zealand.

When VA went into voluntary administration in the first year of the pandemic, Bain Capital made a successful A$3.5 billion bid for the airline and Hrdlicka, originally earmarked as a board director of the airline, was appointed CEO.

“I have decided the time is right to signal a CEO transition for this great airline and pass on the baton,” she said on February 20. Elsewhere in Australia’s airline industry this month, Qantas Group announced its new chair is John Mullen. He will take up his Qantas role, initially as non-executive director and chair-elect, from July 1, succeeding Richard Goyder. Goyder previously has said he will step down as chairman before the company’s AGM in October.