Australia’s new budget airline reveals leadership team

With the launch of Australia’s new and independent, low-cost carrier imminent, Bonza has announced the leadership team to take the airline forward.

Peter McNally (pictured above) has been named chief operating officer, Carly Povey has been appointed to become Bonza’s chief commercial officer, and Lidia Valenzuela has joined as chief financial officer.

Most recently from Swissport, McNally has extensive aviation experience across start-up (Virgin Blue) and established operations in Australia, Asia and UAE.

He will lead all aspects of safety and operations delivery as regulatory post holder for Bonza, in collaboration with Australia’s Civil Aviation and Safety Authority.

McNally’s remit will include flight and cabin crew, engineering and ground services, and operations delivery, including on-time performance.

Carly Povey

Povey will bring with her extensive global experience working for low-cost carriers across Australia and Europe, having held senior roles at Jetstar and EasyJet. Most recently, she was the general manager at Australia Post.

In her new role, Povey will be an ambassador for all things customer, responsible for Bonza’s brand, marketing, communications and customer channels, commercial partnerships, network and scheduling, product and pricing.

Valenzuela recently joined Bonza as chief financial officer. Most recently at ASX 300-listed company Superloop, she has more than 15 years’ experience in finance leadership roles across a wide range of industries including telecommunications, financial services, childcare and technology.

In her new role, Valenzuela is responsible for all of Bonza’s financial functions including accounting, forecasting, tax, auditing and the airline’s project management office.

She will also lead the airline’s financial framework to work in partnership with the leadership team to deliver against cost control and growth targets.

Lidia Valenzuela

Commenting on the appointments, Bonza CEO Tim Jordan said: “The winning recipe to any success story is people. It’s absolutely critical we have the right leadership team, who are wholeheartedly committed to making a real difference to travellers and communities in Australia.

“Peter, Carly and Lidia are up for the challenge to do things differently, whilst also creating an environment our people and partners can feel proud to call home. I’m delighted to have them on board.”

The appointments come not long after Jordan revealed his grand plan for Bonza to launch in early 2022 and fill the void left by the now-defunct Tigerair.

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airline aviation Bonza Budget airline Carly Povey leadership team Lidia Valenzuela low cost carrier Peter McNally Tim Jordan