# Factbox-Long-serving Qantas executive Vanessa Hudson named as next CEO
Author:  Pal Sinha, Barnali 
Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali
Published: 2023-05-02
Category: NEWS
Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/news
Meta Title: Qantas Names Vanessa Hudson as First Female CEO
Meta Description: Learn about the new Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson, a trained accountant who secured funding and led the airline through the pandemic.
URL: https://financedigest.com/factbox-long-serving-qantas-executive-vanessa-hudson-named-as-next-ceohtml

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# Factbox-Long-serving Qantas executive Vanessa Hudson named as next CEO

SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia’s flagship carrier, Qantas Airways Ltd, on Tuesday named its finance chief Vanessa Hudson to serve as its new chief executive starting in November, making her the first woman to lead the century-old airline.

Here are key facts about the Australian businesswoman.

\*Hudson is a trained accountant who has worked at Qantas since 1994 in several roles and lives in Sydney with her husband and two daughters.

\*She started as chief financial officer in October 2019, just a few months before the COVID-19 pandemic devastated the travel [industry globally](https://www.financedigest.com/grinding-machines-market-global-industry-analysis-and-forecast-till-2031.html "Grinding Machines Market Global Industry Analysis and Forecast Till 2031").

\*In March 2020, under her leadership, Qantas [secured](https://www.financedigest.com/top-fintech-trends-for-2021-enabling-smart-and-secure-finance.html "Top Fintech Trends for 2021 Enabling Smart and Secure Finance") $628 million of debt funding against its aircraft fleet to help strengthen its financial position, moving faster than most carriers to shore up capital to deal with the plunge in demand.

\*In June 2020 she led a $1.3 billion capital raising to help [see the airline](https://www.financedigest.com/european-airlines-see-travel-withstanding-consumer-squeeze-for-now.html "European airlines see travel withstanding consumer squeeze for now") through the pandemic, the carrier’s first equity raising in more than a decade.

\*She has also overseen the airline’s fleet replacement and expansion plans as part of her role as chief financial officer, including a multi-billion [dollar order for Airbus SE jets placed last year](https://www.financedigest.com/dollar-creeps-up-in-subdued-start-to-new-year.html "Dollar creeps up in subdued start to new year").

\*Hudson managed the airline’s balance sheet effectively as demand rebounded, with Qantas announcing a surprise $276 million [share buyback](https://www.financedigest.com/novartis-launches-new-11-billion-share-buyback.html "Novartis launches new  billion share buyback") in August 2022 after debt fell below its targeted range.

\*In recent months, Hudson was seen as a likely candidate to succeed Joyce, who had [led the airline since](https://www.financedigest.com/birmingham-led-uk-house-price-growth-since-brexit-vote.html "Why has Birmingham led UK house price growth since the Brexit vote?") 2008.

(Compiled by Jamie Freed. Editing by Gerry Doyle)


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