Air NZ HR chief exits after overseeing 4,000 job losses

Air New Zealand’s head of HR is set to leave the business after overseeing the process that led to around a third of its employees being made redundant. Joe McCollum was only appointed to the position of chief people officer in April 2020 but the airline insists he is finishing up a fixed-term agreement. Nikki Dines, currently general manager of people – corporate, revenue and employee experience, will be promoted to replace him. The company has so far cut around 4,000 jobs, or around 30% of the company, in an attempt to reduce the wage bill by $150m. When McCollum was appointed, CE Greg Foran said, “Joe is no stranger to the type of large scale, rapid workplace change that Air New Zealand has ahead in the wake of COVID-19. He will be a key member of the team to rebuild our airline.” Dines, meanwhile, joined the company in 2013 and has held a number of roles in the people, airports, and pilots teams, including being the general manager of pilots, head of pilot enablement and senior manager of Auckland Domestic Airport. “Nikki is regarded as an outstanding leader with considerable airline knowledge and experience. Her promotion into the role is a credit to the depth of talent we have within the airline,” said Foran. “I want to thank Joe McCollum, who has played a critical role in helping Air New Zealand navigate the COVID-19 crisis and for getting us in a position to be ready to seize the opportunities ahead.”<br/>