Former IBM executive Jamila Gordon will take the reins of Qantas' IT department this September as the airline's new CIO.

Gordon, who has also held positions at GIO and consultancy Deloitte, will replace existing CIO John Willett when he retires at the end of October.

The airlines' recent spate of high-profile outsourcing deals will benefit from Gordon's experience in the field which includes the management of a large IT transformation strategy and IT service delivery across 11 countries for a major European bank.

The airline has outsourced large chunks of its IT operations, including desktop and network infrastructure to Telstra, internal applications support and maintenance to Satyam Computer Services and Tata Consulting Services, security and change management to IBM, and departure control and bookings to Amadeus.

Willett, who will leave his tenure after 20 months, said Qantas will keep tight control over its outsourcing deals by establishing costs in contracts, involving staff whenever possible, and by integrating technology refreshes into agreements.

"Qantas outsourced all IT infrastructure three years ago, [however] some aspects like application service are managed internally and externally, [and] we only outsource the doing, not the thinking," Willett said.

The former CIO said Qantas will maintain governance of its 50-year-old IT shop, despite the outsourcing deals which have shifted more than 340 people outside the company.

Fiona Balfour was replaced as Qantas CIO by Willett, when she took on the same title at Telstra, where she subsequently left in February after a 10-month stint.

Gordon, who emigrated to Australia in 1989 from Somalia, holds an associate diploma in accounting and a bachelor of business in IT.

Qantas would not comment on Gordon's role until her appointment in September.

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