s office
buildings go,
the Qantas hub
near Sydney’s domestic
airport is as expected –
functional concrete
meets glass and wood
with a side serve of
Qantas Club.
What’s unexpected,
however, is that Alan
Joyce – proud-Aussie-
by-way-of-suburban-
Dublin, occasional
wearer of lemon-
meringue pies, decade-
long (almost) leader of
Australia’s historical
airline – is not one for
a personal office, that
cocoon of division most
CEOs spend a career
working towards.
“It works unbelievably
well,” says Joyce of the
open-plan approach
that sees he and other
acronymic management
types rubbing suited
shoulders daily. “It’s an
open collaboration and
has made a big difference
on how people respond.”
Collaboration. It’s a
word, alongside ones like
‘diversity’ and ‘thinking big’, that
Joyce frequently licks with his
lilting Irish accent. Push him on
the strategies that have enabled
him to take Qantas from a $2.8bn
loss to a $900m profit in a single
year – a company that, in the first
half of the 2016-17 financial year
made more money ($515m
after-tax profit) than Cathay
Pacific, Air New Zealand,
Singapore Airlines, Etihad and
Virgin Australia combined –
and he’s quick to jig, shining the
spotlight on his team instead.
“I may get recognised, but these
things are always a big team effort.”
Joyce’s job, as the boss, is to
choose the best and let them crack
on. Good leadership is about a
commitment to trust; it’s about the
bigger picture and navigating a
path to success that skirts micro-
management.Though, brace
yourself (on the seat in
front), for the airline
analogy about to land.
“I think it’s important
in leadership to operate
at the right level. The
senior leadership needs
to operate at 35,000 feet, and when
they’re worried about something
then they can come down to five
feet. But if they’re always down
there, then they can’t scan and
manage all of the issues that are
occurring.”
Joyce is in an obviously ebullient
mood the day we meet. Beyond the
incredible financial turnaround
he’s achieved to this point, (wail
about falling oil prices all you want- there’s much more here than
shifting markets), today’s also seen
Qantas stocks hit their peak since
- Further afield – newspaper
polls have predicted a win for the
‘yes’ campaign in the country’s
same-sex marriage survey.
The 51-year-old’s long stated he
never wanted to be known as ‘the
gay CEO’, rather, that he happens
to be a CEO who’s gay. Still, Joyce
was vocal early on and led the
Australian business sector’s
support of equality.
“Well, I had that guy throw
the pie in my face. And we had
Margaret Court deciding to
boycott Qantas and then
[Immigration Minister] Peter
Dutton told me to stick to my
knitting, so I was probably the most
high-profile voice out there, even
though 1300 companies put their
logo up to support it.”
Again, he’s quick to deflect
any personal praise.
“Well, the business case is there.
The LGBTI community, as an
example, is four times more likely
to use a brand or service if it’s
appreciative of them. So we know
that can be huge in terms of value.
“And there’s a moral case here –
we tag ourselves as the ‘Spirit of
Australia’ and what’s more
appropriate than the Sprit of
Australia giving everyone a fair go
at equality? I just hope we get the
r ight resu lt.”
Alan wears his
own black tuxedo,
white shirt, and
black bow tie, all by
Ermenegildo Zegna.
Grooming Michael
Brennan at The
Artist Group
using Oribe.Alan
Joyce
A
WORDS RICHARD CLUNE PHOTOGRAPHY TIM ASHTON STYLING KELLY HUME
THE QANTAS CEO’S COMPLETE FINANCIAL
TURNAROUND OF AN AIRLINE THAT WAS ONLY
RECENTLY IN FREEFALL, IS A STUDY IN DECISIVE
LEADERSHIP AND PERSONAL STOICISM.
BUSINESS LEADER OF THE YEAR
IN ASSOCIATION WITH AUDI