Air New Zealand’s chief executive officer, Greg Foran, has announced his resignation from the position. Foran is set to leave the airline on 20 October 2025.
“Leading Air New Zealand has been one of the greatest privileges of my career. It’s been an incredible experience alongside an exceptional team. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved together and the way we’ve positioned Air New Zealand for the future,” Foran said.
“I am humbled by the work Air New Zealanders do every day and their extraordinary commitment to each other, our customers, and our country. Despite so many issues outside of our control, we have continued to deliver improvements to our service every day, and I’ll leave later this year knowing Air New Zealand’s foundations are immensely strong and its future very bright. It has been an honour to serve our customers, our 11,500-strong team, and New Zealand. I will look back on my time here with immense pride and gratitude.”
Greg Foran has been with Air New Zealand as its chief executive for five years.
Meanwhile, Air New Zealand Chair Dame Therese Walsh stated that the time is right for him to pursue a new challenge.
“Greg has always displayed exceptional leadership and grit, not only guiding Air New Zealand through global aviation’s most significant crisis, but at the same time also maintaining the airline’s tradition of innovation, strong culture, and care for our country,” Walsh said.
Walsh highlighted that Foran’s most notable achievement as CEO of Air New Zealand has been his adept management of global supply chain challenges, which “begun with Covid-19 and continue today with the engine issues materially impacting both our Boeing and Airbus fleets. While these challenges impact our operations almost daily, Greg’s relentless focus and global profile have been instrumental in mitigating the consequential disruptions on our customers.”
She said Foran’s notice period will provide the board with sufficient time to conduct a “global search” for his successor, a process that will commence “immediately.”
“In the meantime, Greg will continue to lead Air New Zealand with the same dedication and energy that has defined his time with us.”
Before joining Air New Zealand, Greg Foran worked at Walmart in 2011. He held several key positions, including President and CEO of Walmart China, before being appointed President and CEO of Walmart U.S. in 2014.
Foran also held several senior positions with Woolworths, both in Australia and New Zealand.