The much-respected industry leader will pass the baton to new leadership after four years at the helm.
Virgin Australia CEO, Jayne Hrdlicka, has just announced she will step down from the airline’s top job, with the airline to begin a global search for a new Chief Executive Officer in the coming weeks.
As the airline prepares for a much-vaunted IPO and return to the Australian Stock Exchange, Hrdlicka said now was the right time to step aside and ensure a successor is in place to continue the airline’s ongoing success.
Hrdlicka has led the airline through some tumultuous times, after being appointed following Virgin’s acquisition by Bain Capital in 2020 and helping to guide the airline out of administration.
Her list of achievements also included ramping operations back up following pandemic-induced lockdowns, with thousands of staff, both former and new, hired to get the airline back into the sky under a repositioned market approach as a value carrier.
Hrdlicka’s approach was ultimately vindicated with Virgin Australia returning to profit in the 2022/23 Financial Year, which in turn led to the airline sharing its success with thousands of employees.
“I have decided the time is right for me to signal CEO transition for this great airline and ultimately to pass the baton on,” Hrdlicka said.
“This is not a decision I have taken lightly, but the last four years have been heavy lifting across the organisation during the toughest of times.”
More details in tomorrow’s issue of Travel Daily.