Former Tiger CEO Merren McArthur on changing the industry

Merren McArthur never wanted to work in aviation — but became one of its most revolutionary figures in a generation. Three years after leaving Tigerair, McArthur tells Hannah Dowling how she dragged the industry into the 21st century.

Born on the then-sleepy Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, Merren McArthur jetted into the big city after she finished school to study law and foreign languages. After being knocked back from her dream of becoming a diplomat, Merren entered the workforce of commercial law, eventually leaping to in-house legal counsel. While she didn’t know it yet, she was about to embark down a path that would ultimately see her leading the charge at numerous airlines, including Virgin Australia Regional Airlines, Virgin Australia Cargo, and Tigerair Australia. She has now stepped into her latest position as chief executive of Canada’s newest low-cost carrier LynxAir.