Qantas CMO joins CBA to lead marketing

Qantas chief marketing officer and #1 on this year’s CMO50 list, Jo Boundy, is spreading her wings and joining the Commonwealth Bank as its new CMO.

Boundy, who has spent the last 12 years with Qantas Group, is set to join CBA, taking over the reins from current CMO, Monique Macleod. The appointment comes following Macleod’s promotion to group executive marketing and corporate affairs in September. Boundy will report directly into Macleod and commences the role in March 2022.

Boundy joined Qantas back in 2009 as manager of employee communications, before working her way up the ranks to CMO of Qantas Loyalty in February 2016, then group CMO in November 2019. Prior to her tenure with the airline, she held account management and group director responsibilities for several agencies, including Lewis PR and Hausmann Communications, both locally and in the UK.

Boundy’s work at Qantas and ability to drive effective and emotive marketing during the peak of the global pandemic earned her the top spot on this year’s CMO50 list of Australia’s most innovative and effective marketing leaders.

Building confidence, whether it’s to travel, fly or book, was at the heart of Qantas’ marketing strategy over 2020 and 2021 and as Boundy noted in her CMO50 submission, a range of levers have proven instrumental to generating revenue and contributing to the bottom line. These included instructional content and health and safety measures educating customers, reinforcing generous flexibility offering across all Qantas booking types, persistent cross-promotion and above-the line-focus, and re-engagement initiatives including the ‘Rediscover the Spirit of Australia’ and Jetstar ‘Rather be there’ campaigns.

Macleod said she was pleased to be able to welcome someone as experienced and well revered across the industry as Ms Boundy.

“I’m thrilled we have been able to attract a person of Jo’s talent to be our next chief marketing officer. Jo has more than 20 years global experience, having led marketing, customer, communication, digital and entertainment teams at a number of large commercial organisations including Optus, British Telecom, Google and, of course, Qantas, from where she joins us and played a key part in the group’s brand and marketing strategies,” Macleod said.

“Earlier this year, Jo was recognised by CMO Australia as the number one CMO in 2021 and I am delighted we will benefit from her broad range of experience and capabilities, as well as her energy and enthusiasm.”

Macleod joined CBA in 2008 as general manager of brand and sponsorship, then rose to GM of consumer marketing then CMO in November. She was promoted to the group executive marketing and corporate affairs position in August 2021. Her work saw her recognised across the CMO50 in both 2017 and 2018.

The executive-level role was created by CEO, Matt Comyn, in 2019 and initially filled by Priscilla Sims Brown, the former CEO of US startup healthcare business, Emerge.me.

A Qantas spokesperson told CMO it's now on the hunt for a new chief marketing officer.

“In her time with Qantas, Jo has worked across brand, marketing, communications and loyalty. Her creativity, passion and love for the brand has been evident throughout her time at the airline," the company said in a statement. "With Jo anticipated to leave Qantas in February 2021, we have commenced a recruitment and selection process for the role.”

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