The Board of Virgin Australia announces Mr Dave Emerson has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of Virgin Australia. Mr Emerson will succeed Jayne Hrdlicka who indicated her intention to retire as Virgin Australia’s CEO in February 2024.
Mr Emerson is currently Virgin Australia’s Chief Commercial Officer, a role he has held since June 2021. Throughout his 25 years of experience in the aviation and tourism industries, working alongside global airlines, Dave has earned an international reputation for delivering business transformation and excellent financial results.
In his current role, Mr Emerson has played an important role in positioning the airline as a value and choice carrier that puts its customers and people first. Mr Emerson will begin his transition into the CEO role immediately, and will formally assume the role on Friday 14 March. Ms Hrdlicka will continue to support the transition as needed for the next few months.
Comments from incoming CEO Dave Emerson:“Travel is critical to the way we all live our lives and Virgin Australia plays a vital role for the community in making this possible every day.”
“I’m humbled by the opportunity to lead the airline and it’s 8,000 strong team on its next exciting chapter. I have experienced firsthand the remarkable journey over the past four years as we have reinvented Virgin Australia. We exist for our customers, but it is our people who are the heart of this organisation. They are central to our brand and our key differentiator in the highly competitive Australian aviation landscape.”
“Today, we are Australia’s most loved airline, delivering industry leading operational performance and record financial results. I will continue the transformation journey begun under Jayne’s outstanding leadership. The strategy we set as we emerged from Administration several years ago is now paying off. As we return to long-haul international flying, and innovate our domestic services, we can open greater choice and even better value travel experiences for our customers, including more opportunities to reward them for their loyalty. Importantly, it also creates new opportunities for our team.”
