Margaret Jackson

For the British politician, see Margaret Beckett.

Margaret Jackson
Born	1953 (1953)
Occupation	Company Director

Margaret Jackson, AC (born 17 March 1953) is an Australian corporate executive.

Jackson was born in Warragul, Victoria, and studied at Warragul High School. She graduated with a Bachelor of Economics degree from Monash University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Melbourne. She is a Chartered Accountant and a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia.

Jackson was the Chairman of Qantas from 2000 to 2007 and was the first woman to become chairman of a top-50 publicly-listed company in Australia. She has been a director of Qantas since 1992, and her other directorships include the ANZ since 1994 and Billabong.

Jackson is a former partner of accounting firm KPMG and has also worked for accounting firms BDO Nelson Parkhill and Pricewaterhouse (now PricewaterhouseCoopers).

Personal life

Jackson is married to Roger Donazzan and they have two children - Matthew, 24, and Lauren Donazzan, 20.^{[citation needed]} She has a brother, Professor Graeme Jackson who is founder and director of the Brain Research Institute

Controversy regarding Qantas takeover bid

In early May 2007, Jackson faced mounting pressure to resign from the board of Qantas after the dramatic last-minute failure of the Qantas takeover bid by Airline Partners Australia. After the bid failed, she faced criticism that she had undervalued the airline, was reluctant to release upgraded profit forecasts and did not act in the best interests of the majority of shareholders.^[1] Jackson was one of the most outspoken supporters of the takeover bid and, when asked of the ramifications of the bid failing, she famously stated, "If anyone thinks this will happen without affecting the (share) price then they have a mental problem with how the market works."^[2] This was interpreted by some observers as an insult to shareholders and evidence that Jackson was actively lobbying for the takeover consortium.

A number of highly-respected businesspeople and personalities have spoken out in support of Jackson including Sir Rod Eddington (Former Chief Executive Officer of British Airways) ^[3] and former Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett.^[4]

As of February 2008, some opinions regarding Jackson's controversial support of the bid have shifted. Following the sub-prime-induced global market falls and amongst increasing difficulties in the airlines trading conditions such as higher oil prices, increased competition and a loss of monopoly control over key international routes, market views Qantas' value has fallen sharply from the pre-bid price. As of 27 May 2008, the share price had fallen by over 40 per cent since the takeover period with the bid price sitting at a 33-per-cent premium.^[5] Many media commentators such as Jennifer Hewett have suggested Jackson had been correct in her assertions that the takeover offer was a good deal for shareholders ^[6]..

Resignation

On 17 May 2007, Jackson informed the Qantas board that "she will retire from the board when her term ends at this year's AGM (to be held in November 2007)".^[7][8] The board has thrown its support behind Jackson's decision to stay on until then because it ensures "continuity and stability" is maintained in the company.^[9]

John Howard, the Australian Prime Minister, on Jackson and her retirement decision;^[10]

Well I will make a comment. It’s her decision. I regard Margaret Jackson as an outstanding business figure. I am not going to comment on the nuances or ins and outs of the Qantas bid, but let me say that I think Margaret Jackson has been a person of great ability and great integrity and she will remain a very significant figure in the Australian business community. The question of whether she continues as Chairman of Qantas is, of course, a matter for her. I am not going to make a comment on that. I have got a lot of confidence in her and I have got a lot of regard for her and she has always struck me as a person of high intelligence and great integrity.

References

1. ^ "Mental as anything - Maj tells of the passion". The Sydney Morning Herald. 12 May 2007. http://www.smh.com.au/news/business/mental-as-anything--maj-tells-of-the-passion/2007/05/11/1178390553229.html. Retrieved 13 May 2007. 
2. ^ "Qantas warning over takeover bid.". BBC News. 21 March 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6473911.stm. Retrieved 13 May 2007. 
3. ^ Easdown, Geoff (17 May 2007). "'Don't quit' plea to Qantas boss". The Advertiser. http://www.news.com.au/travel/story/0,23483,21746443-27977,00.html. Retrieved 17 May 2007. 
4. ^ "Former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett defends Qantas chair". 7 May 2007. http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/business/items/200705/s1916807.htm. Retrieved 13 May 2007. 
5. ^ Maiden, Malcolm (20 February 2008). "APA's bid looking like a missed opportunity". The Age (Melbourne). http://business.theage.com.au/apas-bid-looking-like-a-missed-opportunity-20080609-2nyv.html. Retrieved 20 February 2008. 
6. ^ Hewett, Jennifer (20 February 2008). "'Who's looking mental now?". The Australian. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23242658-5013565,00.html. Retrieved 20 February 2008. 
7. ^ Easdown, Geoff (17 May 2007). "Jackson to quit Qantas board". Herald Sun. http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,21750995-5006009,00.html. Retrieved 18 May 2007. 
8. ^ Qantas chair Margaret Jackson to retire via ninemsn.com.au 17 May 2007
9. ^ Easdown, Geoff (18 May 2007). "Qantas boss to quit post". The Advertiser. http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,21751447-910,00.html. Retrieved 18 May 2007. 
10. ^ "Packer quits Qantas Board". 18 May 2007. http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2007/s1927417.htm. Retrieved 21 May 2007. 

External links

• Margaret Jackson bio - Qantas Board of Directors
• Monash University, Prominent alumni
• Margaret Jackson Lecture at Australian National University

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Name	Jackson, Margaret
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Date of birth	17 March 1953
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