CIO jets from Qantas

15.12.2005
Qantas may be dropping billions on a new fleet of next-generation planes, but also departing the airline is high-profile CIO Fiona Balfour, who has announced her resignation, effective March 2006.

A Qantas spokesperson confirmed to Computerworld that Balfour has resigned her position and will leave the company, but did not offer a reason for her departure, saying "that's her business".

As a result, Qantas will be left CIO-less because "at this stage we do not have a replacement [for Balfour]," the spokesperson said.

As reported by Computerworld, Balfour, a 17-year veteran of the company, replaced former IT chief David Burden as CIO in late 2001.

During her tenure, Balfour was a champion of sweeping reforms at the airline, including infrastructure modernization and a shift to outsourcing. She was also a proponent of Qantas' reported move away from proprietary UNIX systems to the open source Linux, a move which is yet to be detailed by the airline.

The financial terms of Balfour's departure have not been disclosed by the company.