Ex-Qantas chief Alan Joyce has revealed he’s been told to take a year off after his blazing exit from the airline – but is refusing to speak out about his time at the national carrier.
On Thursday, outside his $20million apartment in The Rocks in Sydney, the 58-year-old spoke warmly about his life after Qantas, but said he was legally restrained from speaking about what he did at the airline.
Asked directly, ‘What would you say to Australians upset about the damage to Qantas’ reputation and customer service under you?’, Mr Joyce said: ‘I cannot talk, I’m legally restricted from answering that.’
He also refused to comment on the $9million bonus slashed from his payout, after a scathing review last week blamed him for damaging the airline’s reputation.
However Mr Joyce, standing next to his husband, Shane Lloyd, happily spoke to Daily Mail Australia about what was to come.
He said he would be working as a director for the Sydney Theatre Company and doing charity work, ‘but I’ve been told I have to take a year off,’ he said, nodding towards Mr Lloyd, who smiled.
Mr Joyce and Mr Lloyd are also spearheading a scholarship competition in both their names for LGBTQIA+ Australian playwrights to work in New York.
Ex-Qantas boss Alan Joyce (right) on Thursday with his husband, Shane Lloyd (left), says he’s been advised to take a year off but refused to be drawn on his response to Australians angry about the national airline
Alan Joyce, 58, chatted amiably about his life after Qantas, his future plans and taking a rest from corporate life but said he was restricted about discussing his slashed $9m bonus
Having led Qantas as chief executive for 15 years before stepping down in September last year, Mr Joyce has faced intense criticism over cancelled flights, lost luggage, and accusations of exploiting customers with exorbitant prices.
Last week’s review by former McKinsey partner Tom Saar and commissioned by Qantas found the airline’s reputational battering was largely due to ‘too much deference’ to a long-tenured CEO.
‘The group had a “command and control” leadership style with centralised decisions and an experienced and dominant CEO,’ the review said.
The review concluded that while there were no deliberate findings of wrongdoing, mistakes by the airline’s management caused ‘significant reputational and customer service issues’.
Alan Jones was harshly criticised in Qantas’ review of his tenure at the airline before docking him $9.26m, but speaking outside his $20m Sydney apartment on Thursday, he declined to respond
As a result, the national carrier cut Mr Joyce’s bonus by $9.26million.
An update to Qantas’ 2023 financial year executive remuneration last week revealed that Mr Joyce had his $8.36million 2021-2023 long-term bonus axed and his short-term incentive of $900,000 reduced by a third.
He was left with just just $1.8million.
Mr Joyce, an Irish-born Australian from humble beginnings in Dublin, earned around $150million during his tenure at Qantas.
In June last year, Mr Joyce also sold $17million worth of Qantas shares just days after the airline supplied details of cancelled flights to the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission.
Alan Joyce and his husband Shane plan to combine the penthouse and sub-penthouse apartments into a single, five-bedroom home, with each bedroom featuring an ensuite and offering world-class views
Mr Saar’s review was critical of this move, finding that ‘there should be additional scrutiny of share dealings proposed by the CEO and members of the group leadership team’.
Since Mr Joyce left Qantas in September 2023, he and his husband have been splitting their time between their home at Whale Beach and their penthouse apartment at The Rocks.
Mr Joyce bought the luxury five-bedroom home at Whale Beach in 2017, which sits on a clifftop block overlooking the sea.
They also own two apartments in The Rocks – the sub-penthouse and the penthouse above.
While Mr Joyce enjoys his ‘year off,’ renovations are reportedly afoot to turn the space into six bedrooms, all with ensuites, so the couple can accommodate family visiting from overseas.
Both apartments offer world-class views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House, and together, they would be worth more than $20million.
Last month, he and Mr Lloyd sold their stunning waterfront home in the exclusive suburb of Mosman, which featured a private jetty.
They had bought the property in 2022 for $19million and spent millions on renovations before selling it for just under $21million.
Alan Joyce’s mother, Colette, pictured above with his late father Maurice, is in her 80s and still resides in his hometown of Dublin
Mr Joyce credits his parents, who left school at 12 and worked multiple jobs, for his education and work ethic.
His mother, Colette, is in her 80s and a retired swimming centre cleaner who lives in Dublin.
His late father, Maurice Joyce Snr, worked as a postman, a glazier, and a tobacco factory worker.
Mr Lloyd has family in New Zealand.
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