Consumer-facing Strategic Development

Marketing & branding strategy creation

• “oneworld” alliance – member of the world-wide airline team that created the branding, marketing plan & customer experience
• Saudi Arabian airline license applicant – Goldman Sachs & McKinsey
• Alitalia bid – Morgan Stanley
• Global Tax Refund bid – Macquarie Bank
• Australian low-cost airline start-up

Brand, product, media, distribution channel and sponsorship launches

• Worldwide brand, product & sponsorship launches for Qantas & Air New Zealand. eg. Koru Club (airline lounge club & Frequent Flyer Programme), Qantas Telstra Visa Card
• Low-cost Trans Tasman airline Freedom Air
• Qantas relaunch of First & Business Classes, Frequent Flier program, lounges & inflight service
• Joint campaigns with Tourism Boards and tourism & hospitality industry partners in the UK, USA, Europe, ME, Asia, Japan, Australia & NZ.
• Award winning worldwide advertising and key market multi-channel media campaigns in the UK, Ireland, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia, Japan, Australasia, North & South America and Canada.
• Qantas-Telstra Visa Card – largest credit card in Australia

International

Board level multi-cultural & multi-lingual environments:

• Non-Executive: Holidaybreak Plc – UK, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland & Austria
• Advisor: Saudi Brothers CC – Saudi Arabia
• Executive experience in UK, Europe, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Middle East & Africa
• Private equity projects in Europe and Middle East

Web and IT

• Online retailing – responsible for yield and sales mix for Qantas’ European online offering.
• Responsible for the marketing and branding of the Qantas Telstra Visa Card, Australia’s most successful co-branded credit card incorporating two loyalty programmes.

Governance

• Experienced with Combined Code and Turnbull regimes as a non-executive director of Holidaybreak Plc (FTSE 300) and Qantas Holidays Plc.
• As Chair of the Board Remuneration Committee of Holidaybreak Plc, oversaw the design and implementation of LTIP, short-term incentive plans, executive contracts and succession planning.
• Audit committee member for a business with operations in multiple countries and currencies.
• As Chair of a pension fund with £8m under management, was responsible for fiduciary oversight

Restructuring & Turn-around

Turn-around plan development – multi-sector experience including:

• Transport:                   Alitalia bid – Morgan Stanley & Private Equity consortium
• IT:                                 Implementation of 2 call-centre & airport operating systems
• Financial services:    Global Refund Holdings bid – Macquarie Private Equity
• Startup:                        Saudi Arabian airline bid – Goldman Sachs & McKinsey
• Take-over:                   New ownership / business structure for 4 regional airlines
• M&A:                            UK “Class 1” &
•                                        M&A in Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Austria & Switzerland

Execution of corporate restructuring

• Restructure & return to profitability – Qantas UK, Middle-East & Ireland Region
• Profitability based restructure of Italian airline sales, distribution & alliances
• Return to profitability of Air NZ National (Domestic Airline), following rebranding & relaunch
• Call centre rationalisation – Qantas UK & Ireland
• Business unit cost reduction – Qantas & Air NZ.
• As a General Manager at Qantas, was heavily involved in staff downsizing & cultural change.
  eg. a -12% reduction program (-3,500 staff) over 4 years.

Audit & Finance

• Audit Committee member of Holiday Break Plc. (FTSE 300).
• Experienced in “continuous disclosure” regimes at Qantas Airways and Air NZ.

Risk Management

• As an airline executive, extensive experience with processes and policies to manage and react to operational risks and “first hand” experience in genuine disaster situations (crashes & deaths).
• As an airline and travel company director, comprehensive involvement in disaster response planning, including the coordination of actions across multi-lingual and multi-national regions.