this was in the Financial Review.....
02 Jun 2008 | The Australian Financial Review
Qantas CEO Needs Seachange
Qantas lurches from bad news story to bad news story, either of its own telling or as recounted by so many of its weary and disappointed customers ('Qantas axes routes, jobs on fuel pain', May 29).
I cannot identify a chief executive officer who is focused less on the needs of his customers and staff and more on creating shareholder and executive wealth than Geoff Dixon.
In this he ignores the dictums that, in a service industry, customers need constant attention, and staff need to be treated in the same way as you would want them to treat your customers.
Constant cost cutting and “Chicken Little” speeches, lead to corporate anorexia and disengaged staff, never to sustainable high performance.
On the upside, having weekly contact with Qantas staff, I am continually amazed at the latent goodwill and commitment that so many of these people have for their organisation and brand.
While Insurance Australia Group may have been over led and undermanaged, Qantas suffers from relative over management and a leadership void as Dixon fails to enlist his people in the task of working through the group’s challenges.
As the Qantas board approaches the choice of its next CEO, we can only hope it recognises the need for a seachange in the role of, and contribution from, Dixon’s successor.
Roger R. Collins
Gerroa NSW