Dixon: Qantas IT in safe hands

Outgoing Qantas CEO Geoff Dixon today expressed confidence in the capacity of the airline's chief information officer Jamila Gordon to lead its IT strategy, in the wake of the resignation of IT-savvy CFO Peter Gregg this week.

Outgoing CEO Geoff Dixon
(Credit: Qantas)

While Gordon is Qantas' formal IT chief, her immediate superior Gregg has played a strong role in the airlines' technology purchasing strategy over the past few years.

Responding to a ZDNet.com.au question during Qantas' regular results briefing today, Dixon acknowledged Gregg's importance to the airline's technology strategy.

However, Dixon said he "certainly" had complete faith in Gordon's ability to lead the airline's technology projects in the future. In addition, it was Qantas' technology team as a whole that Dixon said would carry the organisation forward.

"I acknowledge Peter's contribution, not only to the strategic and financial direction of the company, but also as a good colleague, but very very few things are done in Qantas by one individual," he said.

"There is a whole group of people who contribute and have made decisions on our IT strategy, and all of them, as a matter of fact, except for Peter, remain in the company."

"I'd say that every part of the strategic direction of Qantas, no matter what changes have happened, and what changes eventuate in the next few months or the next few years, they are in very good hands. And there are some very very good people here who are going to take care of it," he said.

The comments came as Qantas today revealed its technology spend had risen $72 million over 2007, with its 2008 annual spend to June 30 reaching $382.4 million. The increase, however, was a major drop on spends in 2005 and 2006, when the company reported computer and communications spends between $480 to $500 million a year.