Long-serving Qantas director Todd Sampson to depart airline’s board, Dion Weisler recruited

Long-serving Qantas director Todd Sampson has announced his departure from the board as chair John Mullen overhauls the leadership team in a bid to restore the airline’s reputation.

Mr Sampson will retire at the end of July, with Dion Weisler — former boss of information technology firm HP — set to take his place as an independent non-executive director.

Mr Mullen on Monday said a “refreshed board and executive team” would help Qantas “regain its place as one of Australia’s most trusted brands”.

Best known as a panellist on the ABC’s Gruen programs, Mr Sampson joined the Qantas board in February 2015 when then-chair Leigh Clifford declared his appointment would add to the airline’s marketing expertise.

But the former ad-man received nearly 34 per cent of votes against his re-election at the company’s annual general meeting in 2023, with critics questioning his marketing expertise amid the collapse of the airline’s reputation.

Mr Mullen on Monday said Mr Sampson’s guidance and insights have been deeply appreciated “during one of the most challenging periods in airline history”.

“On behalf of the board, I’d like to express our gratitude to Todd for his contributions over the past ten years,” he said.

Mr Mullen said bringing in someone like Mr Weisler’s international and technology experience would add to the diverse backgrounds of the other Qantas directors.

Mr Weisler is currently a non-executive director at BHP, biotech Thermo Fisher Scientific and tech firm Intel Corporation.

“One of the key actions we committed to following a review of key governance matters last year was continuing to expand the Board’s skillset to add to the depth and breadth of experience required,” Mr Mullen said.

“Dion will bring immense value to Qantas as we accelerate our investment in digital improvements across our business while navigating the risks and opportunities posed by AI, cyber threats and increasing global connectivity.”

On his appointment, Mr Weisler said it was exciting to be joining an “iconic Australian company”.

“Qantas has a clear vision and commitment to ensure customers and people are at the core of every decision, and I’m looking forward to helping them deliver on that, as well as the expectations of our shareholders and partners,” he said.

Qantas shareholders will vote on Mr Weisler’s election at the annual general meeting in November.