Virgin Australia’s CEO to leave the airline

Virgin Australia has announced that its chief executive officer, Jayne Hrdlicka, will be leaving the airline.

Hrdlicka said she was “very proud of what the Virgin Australia team have accomplished together since the depths of administration and the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The board of Virgin Australia will shortly commence a global search process for a new CEO.

“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. We are in the midst of the next phase of our transformation program and there is a lot to do and an IPO to deliver. The next phase of this journey is another 3-5 years, making now the perfect juncture to begin the process of leadership transition to deliver the next few chapters of what I’m sure will be a significant long-term success story.

“I would like to thank the board, the executive team, and all of the 7,500 fantastic people at Virgin Australia. We have exceptional people throughout our great airline who will continue delivering award-winning service to travellers throughout Australia and strong returns to our shareholders. I would also like to thank Bain Capital as a major shareholder for their support and trust in me as I’ve led the team over the last four years.”

Hrdlicka has led Virgin Australia as CEO since her appointment in 2020 after the airline was acquired out of administration by Bain Capital and supported by Virgin Group during the COVID-19 pandemic.

(Featured Image: Jayne Hrdlicka)