Olivia Wirth quits as head of Qantas Loyalty

Olivia Wirth, CEO of Qantas Loyalty. (Image: Qantas)

Olivia Wirth has resigned as CEO of Qantas Loyalty after five years and will leave the airline next year to “pursue other opportunities”.

The executive, who first joined the carrier in 2009, was seen as one of the leading contenders to replace Alan Joyce as CEO of Qantas Group before the role ultimately went to Vanessa Hudson.

“Qantas has been a massive part of my professional life, and I’m really grateful for the opportunities I’ve been given over the years,” said Wirth in a statement.

“At its core, Qantas is an incredible company and brand, and I’ve loved being part of it. I’m extremely proud of what the team at Loyalty has achieved, and I’m looking forward to delivering more improvements for members before I leave.”

Hudson thanked Wirth for her “enormous” contribution to the company, including a “huge expansion” of the Loyalty program’s offerings which drove growth and engagement from members.

“During COVID, Loyalty was one of the few parts of our business that was able to carry on, which took a lot of hard work and imagination. There are many improvements for customers in the pipeline that Olivia will continue working on with her team over the next few months, as part of setting this part of the business up for continued success,” she said.

“As well as the other senior roles she held, Olivia has been a member of the Group Management Committee for more than a decade and on behalf of the organisation I’d like to sincerely thank her for everything she’s done.”

Separately, the airline has also appointed Catherine Walsh, current head of people and culture at PwC, as its new chief people officer, a role created in an executive reshuffle in June.

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Walsh will be responsible for managing the relationship between Qantas and its employees, including the unions, as well as boosting recruitment.

“Several months ago, we announced the Chief People Officer role to make sure the voice of our people is front and centre on the leadership team, and I’m thrilled Catherine will be bringing her skills and experience to this important task,” said Hudson.

“Ultimately, building a stronger culture and better relationships with our people is one of my highest priorities and a shared responsibility across management.

“As our Chief People Officer, Catherine will support those collective efforts by ensuring we always value the incredible contribution our people make to this organisation and listen to their insights, especially as we welcome thousands more to the Group to support our growth.”