Why you should listen
Shai Weiss joined Virgin Atlantic as EVP and CFO in July 2014 from Virgin Management Ltd., where he had been an investment partner since 2012 and was a founding partner of Virgin Green Fund. In January 2017, he assumed the role of EVP and chief commercial officer responsible for shaping the airline's strategic position in the market, driving opportunities for new revenue and leading the loyalty, alliances and marketing programs that distinguish the airline. In January 2019, Weiss took up the role of chief executive officer. Following the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy, he led Virgin Atlantic through the crisis and delivered the privately funded, solvent recapitalisation of the airline and holiday business in September 2020. He has been a member of the Virgin Atlantic board since summer 2012.
Weiss has extensive financial and operational expertise. Prior to joining Virgin Group, he held several senior management positions at ntl:Telewest (now Virgin Media), the UK and Europe's largest cable operator. Prior to ntl, he established the European office of early-stage technology venture fund JVP and was a senior associate with Morgan Stanley.
Shai also serves as a non-executive director of Checkpoint Software Technologies, a leading provider of cyber security solutions to governments and corporate enterprises globally. He holds an MBA from Columbia University in New York and a BBA from City University of New York, Baruch College. He resides in London with his family, attends Arsenal games whenever he can, reads The New Yorker from cover to cover and attempts to play basketball.
