After 103 years, Vanessa Hudson will be the first woman to be Qantas CEO

It’s only taken 103 years, but Qantas is set to see a woman take the helm for the first time with Vanessa Hudson today announced as the next CEO of the airline.

Hudson is the current chief financial officer of Qantas Group, and is set to step into one of the most high-profile positions in corporate Australia in November. She will replace Alan Joyce, who has been in the role for almost 15 years. Hudson is described as already having a “deep understanding of the business”, having first joined Qantas in 1994.

Chairman Richard Goyder also said in statement today that “a lot of thought has gone into this succession” including with the board considering a number of “high quality candidates” both from within Qantas and outside of it.

Hudson said in the statement: “It’s an absolute honour to be asked to lead the national carrier”.

“This is an exceptional company full of incredibly talented people and it’s very well positioned for the future. My focus will be delivering for those we rely on and who rely on us – our customers, our employees, our shareholders and the communities we serve.”

Hudson has spent almost three decades with Qantas, across roles in Australia and internally. She has worked in commercial, customer and finance. “She has a huge amount of airline experience and she’s an outstanding leader,” Goyder said.

“For the past five years Vanessa has had a direct hand in shaping our strategy as a member of the Group Management Committee, and her handling of the finance and treasury portfolio during the COVID crisis was outstanding. She also led the fleet selection process in 2022 for the renewal of our domestic jet aircraft over the next decade.

“A key strength of Qantas is the sheer depth of talent it has, and Vanessa will be supported by a deep bench of executives across the organisation as well as by the Board.”

Hudson became chief customer officer of Qantas in 2018, and then in October 2019 was appointed CFO, meaning she held this critical role during the COVID-19 pandemic as border closures saw most Qantas flights grounded.

Hudson had shared her desire to become the next CEO of Qantas with Bloomberg, back in 2022. She said that if the board selected her she would be incredible proud and honoured to do so, but also noted there were a “number of candidates competing for that role”.

Just 5% of airlines are led by women, according to the International Air Transport Association. However, with Hudson’s appointment Australia will be well-ahead on women leading airlines, with Jayce Hrdlicka the CEO of Virgin Australia Airlines.

This article was first published by Women’s Agenda.