Air New Zealand chief digital officer Jennifer Sepull joins exiting colleagues

Air NZ digital chief Jennifer Sepull started at the airline in May, 2019. Photo / Supplied

The upheaval of Air New Zealand's executive continues with chief digital officer Jennifer Sepull leaving the airline this week.

She has been at the airline for two years and joins seven other executives who have left or during the past 12 months or are leaving this year. Staff were told today she had been considering a move from the airline but after experiencing the loss of family members in the United States she had brought the move forward.

Sepull moved from the United States to New Zealand to take up the chief digital officer role in May 2019.

The airline's chief executive Greg Foran said she had led the digital team through the toughest period the airline has experienced while delivering on some major programmes of work.

"Under Jennifer's leadership, Air New Zealand's cybersecurity and core technology has become stronger, simplified, and more resilient. Jennifer and her team have also started the journey to build our future digital architecture.

"The digital strategy that she has led will be key to the airline's future success as we emerge from Covid-19."

Foran said the airline has commenced a global search for a successor to drive the digital strategy. She will be leaving the airline this week but will provide transition support to Foran until October.

Interim arrangements are being put in place to manage the digital functions until the new appointment can be made.

The top floor at the airline's Fanshawe St headquarters is unrecognisable compared to this time last year.

So far alliances officer Nick Judd, chief air operations and people safety officer John Whittaker, chief marketing and customer officer Mike Tod, chief revenue officer Cam Wallace and chief people officer Joe McCollum (a one year posting) have left. Chief financial officer Jeff McDowall is also leaving this year.

Of the pre-Greg Foran executive, only chief operating officer Carrie Hurihanganui and chief operations, integrity and safety officer David Morgan remain. Foran started work last February, just as the pandemic devastated the airline.

The digital chief appointment will be critical with airlines around the world scrambling to come up with ways of to ensure health passports work within their systems.