Jetstar CEO Interview
 

Abbreviated interview with the new Jetstar CEO talking about her move into the role and how she plans to balance work and family, and how she wants more women in the engineering and pilot ranks.

The family thing whilst a move in the right direction is probably in the wrong industry. Aviation is 24/7/365 and I take it that the work flexibility won't be extended to those at the coalface. Given that Jetstar pilots have been bounced around the country on the whim of an accountant it will be interesting to see how this stuff will be received given many of us make numerous family sacrifices to be in this industry.

tv.afr.com - Video - - The Australian Financial Review

God help us if she is one of those compulsory male/female ratio types. The only thing that achieves is women being hired to make up numbers; very demeaning. There are hundreds of incredible women pilots who are woking so hard to be recognised for their ability and professionalism, who will have the rug pulled out from under them if they become part of some ratio.

As for lifestyle, well she needs to spend a few weeks in the life of aircrew to see how much of a lifestyle wrecker her airline is. I hope she has the ticker to face the facts, lead by example and address the lifestyle issues of her employees as well as her own. :ok:

That's right. That's what she negotiated from the start with Joyce. If what she says is true, then she will be relying heavily on others to pick up the slack at the times she picks and chooses for family reasons.
While this is VERY fortunate, and I have to say commendable to put the family first, it clearly shows the lack of judgement Joyce has when selecting a CEO for Jetstar.
I don't think this is a "must have a woman" thing or a control thing. I think it shows Joyce's decision making process is continually flawed at critical times. There MUST have been other candidates with their hand up for this that were equally skilled and able to provide more commitment.
He gave her a couple of months to think about heading up an organisation, meaning "I have plans for you" and then offered her the big one knowing her limitations due to family commitments. Even waited for her to talk it over with her husband whose predictable response was "What! you didn't take it straight away!
I don't think that there are many jobs in this world that you can show self doubt at the interview and still get the job.
On the surface,I think that she is capable of doing a great job of CEO if she was more committed, but if she wasn't prepared to make the sacrifices and at least turn up for the Roadshow presentation, then less than 100% is not good enough.


What were you thinking Alan Joyce?
:ugh:

My guess is that they needed a fluffy family cuddly CEO. Someone who is going to soften the media criticism when the jetstar figures start to unravel over the coming year.

It still floors me that Joyce got away with blaming it on Bruce and Gurney

She has had MASSIVE soft media coverage the last few weeks - puff pieces like this one.

Why remains to be seen but I would suggest it is an image manipulation thing ie. "Jetstar (and the QANTAS group) love families", before everyone gets the shaft.

gordonramsey

Aahh, what exactly is a "compulsory male/female ratio types"?

Have you ever seen one of these in business in Australia?

The compulsory ratio for male / female in my bed is one to one.:p

Although some seem to "bugger up" a simple thing like that.....

Show up to work and the flight is delayed.

Phone call to manager: "Hi, capt here, sorry, got to pick the kids up from school, sooooooo"

Leaders demonstrate leadership through participation and example. She sets the example, we should all follow her lead.

Then I think about Capt Al. We're gagged on social media on what we can and can not say. Yet, on the world stage, he can bag it out all he likes. That's logical..

oicur12.again

I have seen it in two companies where some one in HR has made specific requests for more employment of female pilots, "we don't have the right mix". So in answer to your question, yes.

This whole thing of work life balance is fine, but for a company to come out in this way while they have been accused of all sorts of improper work place arrangements, flogging the troops until they drop on their feet and continue to seek ways around employing Australians is just plain hypocritical. Shows breathtaking arrogance and a level of them/us that has rarely been seen on such public display before.

The reality is that this all could have happened while any of the execs slaved away at the computer at home until 3am so why make it an issue in the public domain???

Bingo. So what is QF saying by putting several fluff pieces, about the jetstar CEO, into the public domain?

There is always a reason.

Maybe 'We're a great employer and love our staff (the senior ones, anyway, not those smelly people in the PPE :hmm:) and their kiddies and puppies, not big bad guys like those nasty unions say we are'? Or maybe; 'We're not really a boys club run by Dixon, Singo, Clifford and the ol' school tie brigade like the nasty media tell you! Look at our new Onestar CEO! She's foreign and female!' :}

+1. It would also be interesting to know whether she has always subscribed to the family first notion, even while working her way up the corporate ladder. In many companies middle managers work horrendous hours and are expected to be surgically attached to their phone/emails 24/7. Never mind family time, for many aspiring corporate types meal and sleep time seem to be a privilege, not a right.

When someone is 'balancing work/life' someone else is picking up the other end of the 'work/life balance.' The work still has to be done. By whom? Extra assistants?

The working hours are superb. Isn't she fortunate that she isn't a duty manager at a port with no curfew, not having to work 14 hour days. And isn't she fortunate she doesn't have to spend up to 20 hours as a crew member on one of the typically delayed stinky international bogan flights?
And to think, Elaine apporached her and offered her a multi million dollar gift horse and she said 'oh, please, no thanks, I simply couldn't'! PONY POOH!!

And here is the kicker. Who gives a flying fistful of monkey vomit whether she is male or female! She is the CEO of Lamestar and she will act in the same manner as her predecessors - Focus on personal bonuses, staff cutting, outsourcing, destruction and pillage, just to fill her own pockets. That's the QF Group mantra. That's an iron clad gaurentee.

As for the surname, that's a 'tasteful' name indeed. Anyway Jane, welcome aboard your own personal cash cow, stick by Elaine and he will show you where the deepest end sof the trough are located. I give her maybe three years, but she will make enough $$ to last hersel a lifetime.

Can we please get over Alan's sexuality and the fact her name looks like Hard Licker?

Two threads on this topic have been closed because the debate descended to this puerile level of undergraduate behaviour.

This discussion is relevant because of the hypocrisy shown by those in executive management preaching the "work-life balance" mantra in the press while increasing the demands on the time of those who work for them while cutting jobs and, as a direct consequence, increasing the pressure on the families of ordinary workers.

That is the issue here and calling Alan Joyce "Elaine", or sniggering like a schoolboy at the name Hrdlicka, adds nothing to the debate and undermines any argument you may try to present.

Well said that person!
 

DirectAnywhere,

Well said!!!!:D

DirectAnywhere's post sums up the moderating team's attitude to peurile and childish posts.

Don't think that you can hide behind your cloak of anonymity, should the lawyers come-a-knocking.

Let this be a warning to those who persist with this type of behaviour: Offenders WILL be banned from PPRuNE. Come back under another name? We can block you down to I.P. level, so think about the other members with your ISP that will be affected by your selfish behaviour.

TID.

Nail hit square on the head.

Class society is alive and well in Australia . CEO 's of big companies are the new upper class and with that their belief system is based on their entitlement to say and do as they please !

With respect TM, they are just catching up with the political class.

The first thing that this woman has to take a serious look at, is the cartel running flight operations. The whole place needs a wide broom through it.

Yet another very experienced wide body Capt has resigned due to the utter appalling graft and corruption. Obviously the high degree of world wide experience that was drafted in some years ago for the A330 operation is a serious threat to the little minds.

You want to be taken as a serious business woman Jane, then start by driving a fire hose through your own front and back yard. :ugh:

Tindibilla what...........

“I have seen it in two companies where some one in HR has made specific requests for more employment of female pilots, "we don't have the right mix". So in answer to your question, yes.”

I wonder if said person in HR understood Australian labor law. It appears not.

“Isn't she fortunate that she isn't a duty manager at a port with no curfew, not having to work 14 hour days.”

You have no idea of the demands placed upon people working her job role.

“And isn't she fortunate she doesn't have to spend up to 20 hours as a crew member on one of the typically delayed stinky international bogan flights?”

Yep, isn’t it great she had the freedom of choice to pursue a career that doesn’t require this.

Some of us are not so clever.

Oicur, the issue that staff have with managers like Ms Hrdlicka is having to deal with the sanctimonious rubbish such as:

Referring to Alan Joyce:

Discussing her own views on "work-life" balance.

And then her view of the type of workplace she wants to work in.

The reality is that aviation is a 24 hour business and the vast majority of people who work in the industry accept that and understand that sacrifices must be made. This sort of "preaching from the pulpit" by someone who has the ability to afford a nanny who takes care of everything at home and is able to negotiate to drop the kids off to school and be home by 6 pm sticks in the craw while most staff have to work shift work for perhaps 5% of her salary (and accept that) and their own family life suffers as a consequence.

The problem is that this issue feeds into a broader narrative of hypocrisy emanating from the offices of Coward Street and management have lost all credibility as a consequence of it.

At a time when staff are receiving emails telling them that every dollar is precious and front line staff are being asked to do more with less, are watching their colleagues being made redundant and are fearful for their jobs (what effect do you think that has on people's home life and "work-life balance"?), QANTAS is handing out goodie bags including $300 bottles of champagne to celebrate the Emirates tie-up to D-list celebrities.

At a time when the staff desperately need leadership and managers they can believe in they get this sort of stuff and it completely undermines any confidence that the staff have in senior management and destroys any remaining willingness to work co-operatively for the good of the company.

So was the ceo impressed when told jetstar would have to buy their own 787 sim?
"But what do you mean qantas wont pay?"
Bwahhhaaaaaaaa:}

Ramboflyer, it's stupid comments like this that make me wonder how people like yourself hold a flight crew license :rolleyes:

Yep, try that on as a male in ANY business, let alone a shift working one and see how long your employment lasts.

The only gender that tries this on and wins at it.............................?

Even the previous scumbag CEO of this 'outfit' would have been laughed out of the joint if he had suggested this.

Exactly. So why the hell would you pick a industry that is 24/7/365 and then start preaching a 'I have to be home by 5' mentality?

If you want to knock off every day at 1700 then there are plenty of industries that work weekdays only and you can have some predictability. The reality is you cannot have it all. Something will give. Guaranteed.

Everyone who gets into aviation knows what the deal is and that's the way it goes. People make choices around this knowledge. I know some people who have deliberately chosen one airline over another on lifestyle only.

It also quite possible that she has no idea what she has just got herself into and is just shooting off some idealistic propaganda.

I'd say it's more to do with Jetstar trying to improve its image in the public domain.

If it was intended for employees it would have been an internal company message.

In the absence of that, I'd say it's an attempt to make Jetstar look like a family friendly employer after the bad rap they had under the previous CEO and media reports of "exploiting foreign workers".

Devils advocate for a minute… she got offered a job and negotiated a deal. Good on her if she got away with it.

My last job outside of aviation was to make money with diggers and trucks. The boss didn't care if I worked 1 hour/day or 16. So long as I made money. I suggest her boss isn't much different.

I suspect however as time goes on, and the mothership starts running out of subsidies the heat may well come on.

In which case, we'll see just how true NN's last sentence becomes…

She may well have gotten away with something, but that is the point.At this level your job should be your life to look after the whole process and not just what can be crammed into mummy hours. Can anyone realistically expect this from any other ASX 200 company??

Sorry, but workers are supposed to give their whole, so why shouldn't the bosses who just happen to be on multi million dollar packages.

Still cannot get over the hide of the PR people to put this out there.

Mstr Caution, I agree.

These articles are the result of several staffers putting time into them. The jetstar "CEO" has taken significant time out of her schedule and agreed to have her kids identities publicized. The production of such press always has a reason.

It's creation is either a reaction to bad press or proactive seeding prior to the release of bad press.

Well I guess this forum demonstrates that not only are prejudice and xenophobia themes of many PPRUNE posters, we can now add sexism to that list of endearing traits of these anonymous forum posters.

If there is some critical analysis of poor performance of the particular person concerned in the current or previous job, then go ahead and state it. Criticising someone for wanting some 'humanising roster rules' as part of her package is clutching at straws. A good leader must have good staff to support them, and the leader must have the ability to delegate their responsibility when the are away from the job. Expecting someone to be on the job 24/7 is just crazy. It is expecting something from her that you would not/should not accept yourselves.

A good analogy might be that of a captain of a ship or aircraft. On long tours of duty, they go off the bridge/flight deck for a rest and the first officer takes the watch. If something serious occurs, they can expect a call. Similarly, if the new CEO is at home with the family and something serious occurs, I am sure she can expect a phone call.

I would have thought that flight crew who spend much time away from home missing significant family events and suffering disruptions and shift work would want someone for a boss who values family time. You are going to get more sympathy from such a person when trying to negotiate conditions than someone who's only life is their job.

Ohhhh, what a load of bull****, send me a PM and I will identify myself and we can talk?

The crap she is preaching will not apply to 'her' pilots. Scenario, one of her male pilots walks into her office and says he wants a more family friendly roster, result????

People like Hrdlicka aren't in the aviation game. They are in the game of management - cutting costs, growing profits, taking bonuses and bull**** press releases using phrases like "going forward".

That's why they consider themselves different to us, the frontline workers, and that is why the management/employee relationship in the QF Group will forever be tarnished.

She probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a JQ A320 and A321 if you put them on the ramp next to each other. Yet she is the CEO and a candidate for 2012 "mum of the year".

Squawk think this very funny. Many Australian Chiefs available to screw up job, why need bring in American to screw up job?

She's not arguing for that she wants to be home picking the kids up from school 80% of the time.

It would be the equivalent of a Pilot wanting to only work earlies so he could pick the kids up 4/5 days a week.

Now if Jetstar bring in a awesome bidding/rostering system that enables this and Jetstar are willing to cop the cost and inefficiency, then good on her, she is doing something for her employees.

The problem for her is that the family friendly rationale cost money and is inefficient, if they are willing to wear the cost good on them, I for one don't think they will.

What is even more hillarious is the statement that group strategy has a full time staff of 24. How the hell could 24 people not currently in a coma have strategised QF into its current state?

Hell, give any 4 pilots enough beer coupons and they'll come up with a strategy no worse than theirs. For next to nothing, except in PER where beer may cost more than the savings in staff, synergies notwithstanding, going forward. Etc.

D18S

My guess is they were telling their bosses (executive/board) what they wanted to hear.It's a sign of outstanding leadership and a demonstration of a top shelf executive culture.

From The AFR Boss Magazine

Finally, someone with some sense! Could we please appoint these kids to the Qantas board?

So let's get this straight. Qantas PAYS $100m per year to MENTOR consultants?

2 years for the strategy arm of Qantas and this is the best they come up with? A centre of Excellence?