Addendum
Virgin Australia edges closer to naming Borghetti successor
December 1st 2018
Three candidates have emerged as contenders for the position of CEO of Virgin Australia Airlines, a position CEO, John Borghetti, has decided he will not extend after his contract expires on January 1, 2020. Read More »
Local candidates are Virgin Australia Airlines group executive, Rob Sharp, who runs the day-to-day operations of the full service carrier and Merren McArthur, the recently appointed CEO of low-cost carrier, Tigerair Australia. If McArthur succeeds Borghetti, she will be the first female CEO of a full service Australian airline group.
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Sharp moved to Virgin Australia from LCC Tigerair, where he was chief executive, in 2016. After a period of acting in the role he was confirmed in the position in November last year.
Former Lawyer McArthur has worked for the airline group for ten years. Her first job was company secretary with Virgin Blue. As the LLC shifted its strategy to a full service model, McArthur’s new responsibilities sequentially included group executive alliances, network and yield management, group executive of Virgin Australia Regional Airlines and Group Cargo at Virgin Australia Holdings Ltd. She was named as CEO of Tigerair in May and formally took up the position in August.
In an interview with the Australian Financial Review in July this year, McArthur said “maybe’ she had ambitions to run a major airline.
“I don’t really have these lofty goals that I focus on. I focus on my current role. This is a big enough airline for me right now. But whatever opportunities arise, I’ll grab,” she said.
The third candidate for the top Virgin job is Mark Dunkerley. According to some media reports, the former CEO of Hawaiian Airlines, who stepped down earlier this year, is the board favourite as Borghetti’s successor.
Media friendly Dunkerley joined Hawaiian in 2002 and was appointed CEO in 2005. A critical element of his strategy for the carrier’s international expansion was a pivot to the Asia-Pacific.
In November last year Dunkerley announced he would not be renewing his contract with the Honululu-headquartered airline. His successor is Peter Ingram.
