Alan Joyce is the CEO of Qantas Airways, Australia’s largest air carrier. Qantas is the third oldest airline in the world.
Born in Ireland, he attended Dublin Institute of Technology and Trinity College, Dublin. He worked at Aer Lingus for several years before moving to Australia to work for Ansett Australia. In 2000, he joined Qantas Airways. In 2003, he was appointed as CEO of Qantas subsidiary Jetstar Airways, and five years later, he became CEO of Qantas.
In 2011, Alan grounded the entire Qantas fleet of airplanes, damaging both the airline’s reputation and his own. In 2014, after a $2.1 billion loss, he established a three-year restructuring programme, which resulted in the removal of unprofitable routes, the selling of 50 planes and the firing of 5000 employees, according to a CNBC interview. Nowadays, Qantas is one of the most profitable air carriers in the world—and has hired at least 2000 people since the beginning of the restructuring programme.
“I am very passionate about Qantas,” he told The Financial Times. “I am very passionate about the brand and the people — it’s about making sure I leave Qantas in a much stronger position than I inherited it.”
In 2018, Alan donated $1 million of his own money to the Yes campaign’s same-sex marriage efforts in Australia. He is also a patron of The Pinnacle Foundation, an organisation that works with “disadvantaged and marginalised LGBT Australians.”
“No Australian should miss out on opportunities simply because of their sexuality or gender identity, which is why the Foundation’s work helping young people position themselves for success through education is vital,” he said.
Tags: Diversity and Inclusion, LGBTQ+, planes, transport