Apologies a plenty at Qantas’ first AGM since reputational collapse, Hudson on front foot to repair damage
Richard Goyder, the chairman of Qantas has accepted the poor performance of the airline in his address at the company’s annual general meeting this week.
Goyder said it was, “clear there has been a substantial loss of trust in the national carrier (and) we understand why.”
“There are things we got wrong, things we should have handled better, things we should have fixed faster and for all of those we apologise.”
He went on to mention the impact of the ACCC lawsuit and high court ruling that ruled Qantas illegally outsourced the jobs of nearly 1700 workers, stating the board has commenced an independent review of key governance matters over the last year.
Another key point Goyder addressed was the outcome of proxy voting on AGM resolutions, particularly remuneration, especially executive pay.
He said he expects an “overwhelming vote against our remuneration report.”
“That’s almost a complete reversal of the 90-plus per cent support in recent years.
But please know this: we hear the message this strong vote sends, particularly in repose to broader frustration with past events, and it galvanises our efforts to restore your confidence.”
Vanessa Hudson also gave her first AGM address as CEO, again apologising to the shareholders.
Hudson said she is determined to make Qantas one of Australia’s most trusted brands and commented on how the carrier is investing in its people and customers to improve the service provided.
On a more positive note, she said a number of changes are already underway, including the removal of COVID credit expiration dates, a review of call centres which will some return to ‘on shore’ and the arrival of a new A220 aircraft for QantasLink before Christmas.
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