16 July 2008

New boy on the Board at Qantas

The Chairman of Qantas, Mr Leigh Clifford, today announced the appointment of Paul Rayner as a Non-Executive Director of the Board of Qantas Airways Limited.

Mr Rayner will fill a casual vacancy on the Qantas Board, with immediate effect.

Ã¢â¬ÅâœMy fellow Directors and I are delighted that Paul has accepted our invitation to join the Qantas Board,Ã¢â¬~ Mr Clifford said.

Ã¢â¬ÅâœPaul has recently retired as Finance Director of British American Tobacco plc and was previously Chief Operating Officer of British American Tobacco Australasia Limited." "His substantial financial, operational and international experience will be a valued asset to the Qantas Board.Ã¢â¬~

Mr Rayner joined Rothmans Holdings Limited in Australia in 1991 and held a number of senior executive appointments before being appointed Chief Operating Officer of British American Tobacco Australasia in 1999. He joined the Management Board in 2001 and was appointed Finance Director, based in London, in 2002.

Mr Rayner, who holds a Bachelor of Economics and a Master of Administration, is currently a Non-Executive Director of Centrica plc and also serves as Chairman of CentricaÃ¢â¬â¢s Audit Committee.

A Report by The Mole