New Airservices Australia Interim CEO Rob Sharp succeeded John Borghetti as CEO of Virgin Australia in 2017. Photo: Virgin Australia.
Rob Sharp, the former CEO of Virgin Australia and Tigerair Australia, has been appointed as the interim CEO of Airservices Australia.
Mr Sharp will assume the role on 29 July, replacing Pete Curran, who has been acting in the role. Mr Curran will become the deputy CEO, while the global recruitment process for a permanent CEO will continue over the coming months.
The announcement was made by Airservices Australia’s acting board chair Anne Brown and Federal Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King.
Mr Sharp has an extensive 30-year background in transport and aviation. In addition to his roles as CEO of Virgin Australia and low-cost airline Tigerair Australia, he has also served as Secretary of the New South Wales Department of Transport and was previously a director of strategy & business innovation at Qantas.
Ms Brown said his appointment reflects the Airservices board’s recognition of the value that an expert external perspective can bring in progressing the challenges and opportunities presented by the agency’s business transformation program.
“His familiarity with high reliability and safety-critical industries, including air transport, construction, energy and technology, ensures he brings an advantageous mix of customer, strategy, operational and transformative thinking to lead and support Airservices’ strategic priorities,” she said.
“The board would like to thank Pete Curran for his interim stewardship as the acting CEO.”
Ms King also announced that John Weber has been reappointed as chair of the Airservices Australia board to 2 June 2025
“Together, Mr Weber and Mr Sharp’s knowledge and experience will provide continuity to the organisation in the coming period and help Airservices Australia navigate future opportunities and growth in aviation,” she said.
“Airservices Australia is responsible for 11 per cent of the world’s airspace, manages Australia’s skies, aviation rescue firefighting services and helps grow Australia’s aviation industry.”
She said Mr Weber has worked extensively for corporations and federal agencies covering the rail, aviation, health and defence sectors and has conducted major inquiries and reviews, providing strategic advice to a range of government agencies.
In a post on LinkedIn, Mr Sharp said he was excited to have been appointed to the role.
“Airservices has a deep history and a committed team, transforming the end-to-end experience for all those using our skies,” he said.
“Fostering a high-performance culture, facilitating sustainable aviation and investing in world-leading technology will be focus areas.
“I look forward to working closely with the Airservices team, customers and industry to support the long-term growth of the aviation industry and deliver the Federal Government’s objectives for aviation.”
