Well that’s an interesting choice…
In this post:
Qantas Board adds Doug Parker effective immediately
The Qantas Group has announced changes to its Board. Former American Airlines CEO and Chairman, Doug Parker, will join the Qantas Board effective immediately, “bringing more than 35 years of aviation experience gained in one of the world’s most dynamic aviation markets.”
Here’s how Qantas Chairman Richard Goyder describes Parker joining the Board:
“There are few people with as much experience running airlines as Doug. He’s spent more than two decades as an airline CEO in North America, including eight years heading up the world’s largest airline. The knowledge and perspective he’ll bring to the Board will be a huge asset as we grow in the years ahead.”
Meanwhile here’s what Parker has to say about his new position:
Mr Parker said: “Qantas has always been one of the world’s great airlines and it has clearly come through the pandemic in a very strong position. I’m honoured to be joining the board at a time when there is a lot of momentum and I look forward to doing what I can to support that.”
For context, Parker retired as CEO of American Airlines as of March 2022, and he stepped down as Chairman of the company as of April 2023. So this new role is coming for 61-year-old Parker just weeks after he fully left American.
Parker was one of the longest serving airline CEOs in history, as he spent 20 years as CEO of America West, then US Airways, and then American Airlines, seeing the airline through two mergers.
Parker is an interesting choice for Qantas
To Parker’s credit, he’s had an absolutely amazing career. Being CEO of an airline for 20 years, and seeing it through two mergers, is something that just about no one does. That being said, I can’t help but find Parker to be an odd choice.
There are two things I find particularly impressive about Parker’s career:
- He’s great at consolidation, and great at staying CEO through all this, despite the fact that in both cases he ran the smaller airline
- It’s a miracle he kept his job for so long (especially toward the end), despite American largely underperforming the industry
Is Parker going to provide his expertise on how to run an airline while lacking a strategy, or will he focus more on how to take on an unbelievable amount of debt? I mean, I’m sort of kidding here, but also not. I suppose he could add a lot of value if Qantas was looking at industry consolidation, but how much less competitive can aviation in Australia get?
Then again, perhaps he’s a good fit for Qantas. Qantas’ Board has let Alan Joyce run the airline for so many years, and he’s not exactly a class act in terms of labor relations, customer experience, etc. (with some notable exceptions, like some of the carrier’s lounges). Joyce will be retiring as of November 2023, but now the airline also gets Parker in some capacity, so…
Bottom line
Rather than just enjoying his tens of millions (or perhaps $100+ million) and chilling out, former American Airlines CEO Doug Parker will be joining the Board of Qantas. This comes just weeks after Parker stepped down as Chairman of American.
What do you make of Doug Parker joining Qantas’ Board?
The disdain for customers Doug fostered at US Airways, America West, and American should be exported to Australia. They need help in getting their customers to hate them. I am not so sure the Australian government will bend over to allow mergers that stifle competition and hurt the consumer go through. Maybe though. I guess he needs some free flights to Australia four times a year. Maybe a house there? He can sit around and...
The disdain for customers Doug fostered at US Airways, America West, and American should be exported to Australia. They need help in getting their customers to hate them. I am not so sure the Australian government will bend over to allow mergers that stifle competition and hurt the consumer go through. Maybe though. I guess he needs some free flights to Australia four times a year. Maybe a house there? He can sit around and eat more since it looks like that is what he has been focusing on.
Great. Now Doug Parker can add another one to the resume of airlines he has poisoned. This is most likely going to be really bad for Qantas. I’m not an Australian, but from what I’ve heard, Qantas has sort of lost its luster the past several years. It seemed like at some point they were comparable to Asian or Middle Eastern airlines. I honestly think at this point, the A380 might be the only thing saving them from being in the same tier as AA, UA, and DL.
And yet another great airline will suffer at his hands.
The largest Australian companies draw from a tiny in-bred style gene pool in their selection of directors. The same old names pop up with depressing regularity.
No matter they know zilch about the new company they are appointed to; heck, they know nothing about the dozen others boards they have a chair at too! It's all about who you know, what school you went to, which clubs you belong to and your family pedigree....
The largest Australian companies draw from a tiny in-bred style gene pool in their selection of directors. The same old names pop up with depressing regularity.
No matter they know zilch about the new company they are appointed to; heck, they know nothing about the dozen others boards they have a chair at too! It's all about who you know, what school you went to, which clubs you belong to and your family pedigree. Therefore, Parker is a bit of an outlier, but maybe they thought someone with a bit of industry experience would add a touch of diversity to the board.
Certainly , along with Alan Joyce, he displays remarkable survival skills, staying on way past their 'Best Before' dates.
Am not seeing this appoinment adding anything positive to the Qantas experience.
Far from 'Am not seeing this appointment adding anything positive to the Qantas experience' - this appointment signals an intention to ensure the shareholders are well provided for and the Australian traveller is further frustrated by their once favoured airline. It is little wonder that amongst my circle of Platinum friends (status, not hair colour), all options are being considered and the once unthinkable, 'try something new' is becoming a mantra.
Did some people not read before commenting? Parker is joining the QANTAS board, which advises. Parker is NOT the new QANTAS C.E.O, who manages day-to-day.
Board members are constrained by their own numbers and need for consensus (at least that's how boards work in Oz), it's not as if he's going to ram through an AA style programme of change by merely attending quarterly board meetings!
Stop. Read. Breathe. Think.
Board members don't advise, they oversee the management.
Look at how much Doug has done when he was busy day-to-day. Give him longer time to think (and steer management), he could wreck havoc in a grand scale.
What happens when the board is just an echo chamber of management. You get brainwashed people believing in propaganda. But of course, most comments on other topics or posts have proven it's too late.
Boards do advise and set the goals. That's what they're there for. Aren't you that annoying guy who talks about China and airplane automation too much? Maybe stick to your playpen??
I actually talk about liberating people from echo chambers (here is mostly Western propaganda) and eliminating corrupted dinosaurs or people who are afraid of changes.
If you find me annoying, then I'm doing it right. :)
You can thank me later.
Those poor, poor bastards. Were they doing bath salts when they made this decision? "Hey, lets hire someone who's manifestly unfit to make management choices for a full service airline. Someone who's proven this over and over. Someone with a ULCC management mentality. Someone who will manage to draw hatred from employees, customers, and shareholders. Who could we find?"
QF actually managed to start a successful low cost carrier (unlike the US major legacies) called Jetstar, which operates profitably. DP's insight as an ex-CEO of 2 US LCC carriers) could well be of value to the Qantas Board. Both out-going Alan Joyce and incoming CEO Vanessa Hudson have strategies on how and where QF International and Domestic operate - and there are signs of divergence in those strategies. Jetstar has been somewhat constrained for...
QF actually managed to start a successful low cost carrier (unlike the US major legacies) called Jetstar, which operates profitably. DP's insight as an ex-CEO of 2 US LCC carriers) could well be of value to the Qantas Board. Both out-going Alan Joyce and incoming CEO Vanessa Hudson have strategies on how and where QF International and Domestic operate - and there are signs of divergence in those strategies. Jetstar has been somewhat constrained for the past few years and perhaps DP might well be able to help improve that. Remember, Jetstar is a separate airline to Qantas but a member of the Qantas Group (which Qantas does also). Let's see what happens, before we bag the guy.
Cripes what are they thinking appointing Parker to the QF board. It's not even 1st April.
Perfect. The further the better... One can actually see and feel the improvements since he left as CEO
Rather than just enjoying his tens of millions (or perhaps $100+ million) and chilling out, former American Airlines CEO Doug Parker will be joining the Board of Qantas.
He'll still have plenty of time for that. Board membership isn't a day-job, that's for the C-suite.
I'd be shocked if Qantas' board met with more frequency than every 60days, and even then, Qantas allows a proxy for Directorial functions if requested upon notice of meeting.
Let's all watch a once great company be reduced to a moral killer for workers. Just have to look at his past achievements America West usairways and American. All run in the ground for that 99% seat occupancy rate...
Coming up next, EQD?
Yay, Doug Parker.
Qantas is embarking on another new mission, Project Sunset.
Envy is such a noble emotion.
Qantas is already a shell of what it used to be. Customer service and the inflight soft product have been deteriorating for years. They made very bad choices with aircraft purchases which have hampered their operations. They stole millions from Australian taxpayers. They use their position to stifle meaningful competition. They had a terrible CEO. And now they are bringing another ex-CEO to their board who did all the same things with AA.
Doug Parker is already figuring out how to reduce first and business class capacity and increase premium economy. A few cm of less room in the main cabin won’t hurt anybody. No worries mate. : |
Doug Parker ruined American Airlines.
@UA GS @SFO
How so ? FWIW I’m not a fan of any airlines CEO. I think he can make Qantas more profitably and competitive in the Oceana market.
This is exciting! Perhaps we can see the rebirth of the famed Turkey Pastrami sandwhich on Qantas soon!
Well, Dougie's a confirmed binge drinker...and if there's a culture that loves binge drinking, it's the Aussies.
And if there's a pair who know how to screw over both employees and customers, it's DUI Dougie and Alan Joyce.
They're a perfect match...
Pay back the billions you stole from the Australian taxpayer, Qantas. Dishonest thieves.
Doug can go ahead and ruin Qantas as he has to the other airlines he headed. Not a smart choice. Qantas deserves better.
There's a reason I don't fly on AAmerican AAirlines despite living at one of their hubs. I'm not saying Doug is singularly responsible for that, but suffice it to say given Qantas' reputation, this isn't exactly a surprise.
absolutely great choice for QF's competitors which will certainly gain passengers and revenue at QF's expense.
Parker was at the helm for the worst periods of AA's history. The current management is working hard to extricate his demons from AA but it will take years to do so.
Maybe Doug can screw up Qantas like he did at AA....can't get any worse!!