Qantas Airways Ltd Chief Executive Alan Joyce kept his cool after a man smeared a cream pie in his face during a business breakfast in Perth, Australia.
Dublin-born Mr Joyce was speaking when a man in a business suit walked onto the stage, reached around to rub the pie in his face, and calmly walked away, 7 News television showed.
The unidentified man's motive was unclear but he was soon apprehended by security guards.
State police later confirmed that officers had been called to an assault at a Perth hotel and that one person was in custody.
The head of Australia's flag carrier at first appeared stunned by the incident but quickly regained his composure to tell the audience he did not know why he had been targeted, Australian media reported, before leaving the stage to clean up.
He later told reporters he had been unable to identify what flavour pie he had been hit with.
"My issue is I need a good dry cleaner before I leave Perth, so if you have one, please recommend it to me," he said.
