Strong not keen on Qantas top job
 

Strong not keen on Qantas top job

August 01, 2007 11:22pm
JAMES Strong, seen by many as the likely next chairman of Qantas, says he's not interested in the job.

Mr Strong, currently holding chairman positions with Woolworths and insurer IAG, tonight said he'd told both those companies he would not run for the chairmanship of the airline.

“When I spoke to the boards of IAG and Woolworths, I said I'd give it serious thought,” he told ABC's Lateline Business tonight.

“Some people pointed out to me that this was a very important role I had and both these companies are really dynamic companies and doing very well, with good management and very good board and so on.

“So, I said I'd give it very serious thought and clarify the position.

“I announced to both boards today that I won't be a candidate” for the Qantas chairmanship.

Mr Strong is a former Qantas CEO who returned to the airline's board late last year.

The national carrier is searching for a new chairman after Margaret Jackson announced she would retire following the collapse in May of the $11.1 billion takeover bid by the Airline Partners Australia (APA).



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wasn't there are story that darth and jimmy are not best of mates.

Bugger, he would have been a great chairman as he actually seems to care about the airline and not in it for the money unlike :mad:face and Darth.

Probably doesn't want to get caught up in the witch hunt regarding improper dealings when the change of government occurs, much like young Packer.:eek:

Which one would be worse!
Both have been cutting ans slashing the QF work force.
The rot started with Jimmy......
Remember the signs.....KTC.............

Cartexchange, I can vouch for that. Strong is bad bad bad. He was the one who brought in Coopers & Lybrand and got the slippery slope going on redundencies and farming out maintenance to o/s. Qantas sure as hell don't need him as CEO. They need to also get rid of that turkey DIXON. This guy is totally out of touch with his staff and his customers. He also proved recently he has just lost the plot. Imagine telling Boeing execs at the rollout of the 787 celebrations that he'd take an Airbus if the 787 wasn't as good as Boeing says it is. Jesus, d:mad:khead, leave that for negotiation day not celebration day you fool.:ugh:

boys and girls
this sounds like that joke that we had when the bow tie was in the hot seat.
what do maccas and our company have in common?

we are both being led by a clown wearing a bow tie.

Jsport5, your memory is letting you down. The management prior to Strong brought in C & L for the big slash and burn. Strong is actually on record as saying how damaging C & L's efforts were and he said that if jobs had to go then he would rather do the task himself instead of bringing in an outside company at great expense to do the job when they don't have a feel for the industry.

Post privatisation, Strong took the company through a consolidation phase whereby the massive debt that he inherited (87% D/E ratio) was more than halved, greater utilisation of assets was achieved (which is why not many aircraft were ordered during his time) and a lot of changes were made to prepare for the expansion phase which has now started. He was aware that a lot of his decisions caused grief to many loyal employees and he had the balls to front up to staff meetings and deliver the bad news himself. Darth, on the other hand, does not have the balls to face his staff and just sends his minions to do his dirty work. At staff meetings, Strong would lay out the long term plans that he and the board had so that staff could understand why unpleasant decisions had to be made. The communication within the company was very good considering the size of the company - his sucessor however has poor communication skills.

Going Boeing
Forgive me for the mistake. Still, Strong continued with the recommendations that Coopers had made. Yes, grief there was I remember it well, and I didn't even have my own family at the time (I pity those that did). Yes he did front staff, but only to deliver his message and that was it (credit to him) but, deliver it with force and then leave. Not hang around to listen or answer questions he'd leave that for his bum sniffers.
Everyone knew that with the pressures being put on staff and more maintenance moving overseas very soon QF would have an accident. It didn't take long and thankfully it was not fatal. I am not here to blame anyone and lets not lay any blame.
I left the airline in 1999. Had been there in engineering since 1991 and even now it does't sound like management has change one bit. I recently travelled o/s and flew o/b and i/b on QF the entertainment system failed to work during the 9 hr flight, the unfriendly haggard hosties haven't changed, their wardrobe is as drab and boring as the desert is represents and in conclusion I must admit I made a mistake in flying with them.
I am not a disgruntled ex employee it's just there are much much better airlines out there than QF. SHAME SHAME SHAME.