Virgin Australia appoints Dave Emerson as the company’s newest CEO

Virgin Australia’s board of directors have appointed Dave Emerson as the company’s newest Chief Executive Officer. As of March 14, Emerson will take over from Jayne Hrdlicka officially, who indicated her intention to retire as Virgin Australia’s CEO in February.

Emerson is serving as Virgin Australia’s Chief Commercial Officer since June 2021. His 25 years of experience in tourism and aviation has solidified Emerson’s reputation for consistently delivering excellent financial results and business transformation. He’ll pick up the CEO’s reins with immediate effect, Hrdlicka supporting the transition for the next few months.

Ryan Cotton, Virgin Australia’s Chairman, commented, “After a global search, it was clear that Dave is the right leader to continue the implementation of Virgin Australia’s strategy. Dave also appreciates what is special about Virgin Australia – our team and our people – and will continue to act as a steward of our amazing culture. We are confident Dave will not miss a beat in leading continued strong performance and growth across our business.”

“Having had the opportunity to work with Dave over the last four years we recognise his unique breadth of commercial, digital and customer experience plus his deep knowledge of Australian aviation,” Cotton said.

Talking about Hrdlicka, Cotton said, “Virgin Australia is in an excellent position for the future thanks to her leadership through some of the most difficult times in our industry. Jayne shared with us all a vision for the role Virgin Australia could play in Australian aviation and has led the rebuilding of every aspect of our airline to ensure that we could deliver great outcomes for our people and our customers while also delivering significant returns to shareholders.”

Incoming CEO Dave Emerson commented, “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.”

“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. 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.”

Outgoing CEO Hrdlicka said, “It has been a career highlight and a huge privilege to lead Virgin Australia, and I could not be prouder of how much we have achieved together as a team. Dave is an excellent choice to succeed me as CEO. He has proven himself as a strong leader and has been a key contributor to Virgin Australia’s successful transformation journey.”

With the rising travel numbers coming into and flowing from Australia, it’ll be worth checking how Virgin Australia expands under Emerson’s stewardship. (And while you’re here, check out our other blogs on aviation and travel!)