Fond farewell from outgoing Virgin Australia CEO Hrdlicka

Outgoing Virgin Australia CEO Jayne Hrdlicka will farewell the airline tomorrow (Friday) having left a lasting financial and reputational impact on the carrier that was in desperate straits just a few years ago.

“It has been an absolute privilege to lead the Virgin Australia team over the past four and a half years and I could not be more proud of everything we have achieved together,” she said in a post on LinkedIn.

“The transformation of this business post administration has been nothing short of remarkable. From the early days when we were hardly flying to a record-breaking summer just finished and all the milestones in between.

“Together as a team, we have repositioned Virgin Australia as Australia’s most loved airline, providing customers with great value and choice. Every day we enable opportunity, achievement, adventure and meaningful experiences.

Those who commented in the post included Qantas Group chief executive officer and managing director Vanessa Hudson.

“Congratulations on all you have achieved in the past four and half years, Jayne. Thank you for being a great leader to work alongside in the industry,” she wrote. “Wishing you all the best in your next chapter.”

Chief commercial officer Dave Emerson, who has been with the airline since June 2021, succeeds Hrdlicka who confirmed her decision to retire in February 2024 after leading the airline through a transformative period.

Virgin Australia entered voluntary administration on 21 April 2020 owing $6.8 billion to creditors including employees, bondholders and customers. Administrators from Deloitte were appointed to manage the sale process, which lead administrator Vaughan Strawbridge described as “one of the most challenging administrations in Australia’s corporate history”.

When US private equity firm Bain Capital formally took control of Virgin Australia seven months later it paved the way for new CEO Hrdlicka who succeeded Paul Scurrah. The Federal Treasurer recently approved Qatar Airways bid to purchase Bain Capital’s final 25 per cent stake in Virgin Australia.

“At the start of our journey we had a lot of work to do, together, to reset our place in the market and rebuild every corner of our business to create a profitable and sustainable role in the industry,” Hrdlicka said on LinkedIN.

“Among the things I am most proud of includes the purposeful pace, focus, resilience and unwavering belief we demonstrated as a team. Today we are Australia’s most loved airline, most trusted, most punctual and reliable airline and we are delivering record financial performance and results that many thought impossible. We have achieved best cabin crew in the world 7 times in a row, best regional airline for the second year running and we came in third as best ‘hybrid’ in the world. Qatar Airways, one of the world’s biggest and its best airline, are also now a 25 per cent investor.

“It is extraordinary just how far we have come. It is testament to the importance of having clarity on where we were headed and real conviction to deliver it. Today we are 8,000 people strong and growing from strength to strength. It has been a real team effort with all of us clear about our purpose and passionate about our ultimate success. We know we are never done getting better and we work hard every day to do better than the day before. This has been a core part of Virgin Australia’s success post COVID.

Hrdlicka, also chairman and Board President of Tennis Australia since October 2017, said her time as CEO of Virgin Australia had been a career highlight.

“It has been an honour to serve our team and community and help make sure that Virgin Australia will be around for decades to come. Ours is a very special culture, and it has been a pleasure every day to lead our great organisation.

“CEO roles are an incredible responsibility and a huge leadership privilege. We have achieved a lot as a team and had a lot of fun doing it. It will be hard to step away from a world class team of wonderful people, all of whom I will miss terribly. And it will be hard to disconnect from something I have enjoyed so much and given everything to, during the worst of times in the industry and for me personally. I am however very grateful for the opportunity to take a break and to create more flexibility to be a good Year 12 single mum!,” she said in reference to losing her husband investment banker Jason Gaudin, who died from cancer in May, 2023.

“Thank you to everyone who has reached out, I have been truly touched by your kind words and support.”