VA Bain culture and its CEO under fire

[Saab34]

Why this is in the media is a joke ... It's just popcorn entertainment.

Exactly, no different to any other company. Seen all this and a whole lot more inside my employer, and every other business that I know about. Didn’t get broadcast to the nation. That’s why we have HR and Legal departments! They deal with it, we all don’t need to hear about it, nobody cares.

The person involved here should have walked away when the PE firm took over. Pretty clear in these sort of events that management wipeout occurs, get out before they make your life miserable. I don’t know why this bloke decided to hang around. All the other executives here did a runner pronto.

 

[HS-TQE]

I do recall similar happenings during the VB to VA1.0 transition. Allegations of those trying to stick behind being harrassed off the job after Godfrey and crew left when Borghetti raised the axe to install his own crew that he brought from QF his lot of investors (SQ, EY, et al).

If it was the 'so called saviours' of either EY and/or SQ that somewhat 'took over' with majority ownership, VA would still face the same situation with the wipeout and departures of the preceding management.

 

[Carrots]

Jayne Hrdlicka, bullied him by referring to him as part of the “Ansett old boys’ club”

He mustn't like the "alleged" truth in the comment.

 

[Saab34]

I wonder if it wasn't for Covid, if VA would have still entered administration? Seems likely.

 

[HS-TQE]

I wonder if it wasn't for Covid, if VA would have still entered administration? Seems likely.

Would've still likely ended up that way, despite the SQ, EY, DL, etc etc (mostly "Fake News") articles going on.

The former two doesn't have a good track history of investments leaving behind bankruptcies, and the later has a mixed record of investments (taking over VS from SQ), hence the 'alleged' tags.

Edit: This seems to be noted by the current SQ and EY managements, hence the later exiting their remaining investments (well those that didn't go bankrupt/liquidate), whilst the former is concentrating on their Vistara Airlines investment, having been noted that the Indian market is their most important overseas market.

 

[pauly7]

I wonder if it wasn't for Covid, if VA would have still entered administration? Seems likely.

Absolutely would have, or at the very least an enormous restructuring akin to what Bain has done to downsize the business . They were teetering pre-covid.

On topic, where there is this much smoke there is some sort of fire.

If there was one lawsuit - possibly just a lone wolf event. But multiple lawsuits and fair work investigations / complaints point to something not quite being right. I’m not speculating that the problem is the CEO by the way

*Personal opinion not involving my professional experience

 

[HS-TQE]

Absolutely would have, or at the very least an enormous restructuring akin to what Bain has done to downsize the business . They were teetering pre-covid.

On topic, where there is this much smoke there is some sort of fire.

If there was one lawsuit - possibly just a lone wolf event. But multiple lawsuits and fair work investigations / complaints point to something not quite being right. I’m not speculating that the problem is the CEO by the way

*Personal opinion not involving my professional experience

Not the first time that the Virgin group as a whole, going all the way back to the VB days had similar case after case either.

At the start of the Ansett collapse, there has been past court cases against VB over discrimination after a group of ex-Ansett flight attendants decided to put their case that VB chose not to employ them over their age, with the last of those cases around 2005.

Edit: So as pointed out, the 'culture' at Virgin hasn't been rainbows and lollipops during stable periods either, and not just during the transition periods. It may or may not be speculated to be the result of the problems of those higher up including the CEO(s) of those periods.

 

[HS-TQE]

PILOT CLAIMING BULLYING ASKED FOR $900,000, SAY VIRGIN​

Virgin has claimed its former chief pilot only made bully accusations after the airline turned down his request for a $900,000 payout and gold status lounge access.

The Australian reported the alleged revelation from new court documents, which also suggested the senior employee would depart “quietly” if a subsequent deal could be agreed.

Michael Fitzgerald earlier this year lodged a claim for unfair dismissal, which accused CEO Jayne Hrdlicka of bullying, leading to mental health issues and a seven-month sick leave absence.

Pilot claiming bullying asked for $900,000, say Virgin

New court documents released by the airline claim Michael Fitzgerald indicated he would depart “quietly” if a subsequent deal could be agreed.

australianaviation.com.au

 

[andye]

PILOT CLAIMING BULLYING ASKED FOR $900,000, SAY VIRGIN​

Pilot claiming bullying asked for $900,000, say Virgin

New court documents released by the airline claim Michael Fitzgerald indicated he would depart “quietly” if a subsequent deal could be agreed.

australianaviation.com.au

Shows how little increment there is for VA WP that he allegedly only asked for LTSG status

 

[Saab34]

That would put the Chief Pilots salary at about 375k. Seems rather low (well when comparing it to say senior Widebody Training Captains), I thought it would be approaching 7 figures.

 

[jakeseven7]

Shows how little increment there is for VA WP that he allegedly only asked for LTSG status

Well the lack of Premium domestic lounges is a killer

It’s getting a little bit dramatic these cases!