The Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN) share price is lifting in early trade.
Qantas shares closed yesterday at $4.52 and are currently trading for $4.62, up 2.2%.
That will surely come as good news to Qantas CEO Alan Joyce, who has watched the airline struggle first through two years of pandemic travel closures and more recently with soaring fuel costs.
Joyce is a true veteran of the travel industry. He's led the airline since 2008. And when COVID-19 reared its ugly head in 2020, he signed on to remain as CEO through to June 2023, or longer, to help guide the company through the global emergency.
Now, if you own Qantas shares, you're likely familiar with Joyce already. But do you know who just threw her hat in the ring to succeed him?
Is this Qantas' next CEO?
As Bloomberg reports, Qantas chief financial officer Vanessa Hudson is keen to take over from Joyce.
Hudson said:
If the board were to give me the opportunity to step into Alan's shoes, I would be incredibly honoured and proud to do that. There are a number of candidates competing for that role. So, we'll see how that goes over the next 12 months.
Should Hudson get the role of Qantas CEO, she'll be joining a select group of women spearheading global airlines. Currently only some 5% of airlines are led by women, according to the International Air Transport Association.
How have Qantas shares been tracking?
Qantas shares have certainly suffered through some turbulence over the past two years.
First came COVID-19, which hit most every industry, but was particularly difficult for ASX travel shares.
Now, following Russia's military build-up and eventual invasion of Ukraine, the airline is facing fresh headwinds from rocketing oil prices.
With that in mind, it's little surprise to see Qantas shares down 10.5% in 2022. Especially in a year that has seen the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) fall 7.3%.
