Qantas appoints Treasury Wine’s John Mullen as new chairman

(Reuters) -Qantas Airways said on Wednesday John Mullen (NASDAQ:) will join the company board as chairman-elect from July 1, and replace its outgoing chair Richard Goyder ahead of the Australian flag carrier’s annual general meeting in October.

Mullen is currently the chairman at Treasury Wine Estate as well as independent and non-executive chair at logistics firm Brambles.

Qantas also appointed Nora Scheinkestel as a non-executive director and chair of the company’s remuneration committee.

The appointments, which came in four months after Qantas said Goyder would step down in late 2024, are a part of the airline’s board renewal to restore trust among investors and fix its battered reputation.

Goyder, who became chairman in 2018, has previously fought against pressure to resign, including from the airline’s pilots, saying that he had followed high ethics throughout his career.

CEO Alan Joyce retired early last September after a public backlash against Qantas.

The carrier has been facing challenges in recent times, with the High Court of Australia in September dismissing its appeal against a judgement that found Qantas had cut jobs unlawfully.

The ruling came days after Australia’s competition regulator sued the carrier over selling fake seats.

Qantas is set to report its half-year earnings on Feb. 22.