Qantas pays respects to former chief

Qantas pays respects to former chief
By admin


Qantas has paid tribute to its former chief executive James Strong, who died last night at the age of 68.

As chief executive and managing director of Qantas from 1993 to 2001, Strong oversaw both the carrier's merger with Australian Airlines and the privatisation process of 1995. He remained a non-executive director at the time of his death.

In addition to his time at the Qantas helm, he held a number of other roles including chairman of Insurance Australia Group, Rip Curl Group and Woolworths. He was also a director of Dorna Sports which manages MotoGP worldwide.

Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said he was "deeply saddened" by the news.

"James made a huge contribution across many areas of Australian life, but he will be remembered by us as a giant of Australian aviation and Qantas history," he said. "Under James's leadership, Qantas remained at the forefront of global aviation with its commitment to fleet renewal, including the ground-breaking Airbus A380."

Chairman Leigh Clifford added that Strong was "well liked and respected" by the airline's employees and his board colleagues.

"He was an exceptional business leader and made a significant contribution to Qantas over many years," he said.

Strong passed away at a hospital in Sydney last night from lung complications following surgery. His family said in a statement that he would be "profoundly missed by many".

 

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