Ex-Virgin Atlantic boss takes up new role  

Former Virgin Atlantic chief executive Shai Weiss is joining US business travel, payments and  expense management platform Navan.

He has been appointed to the board of directors of the Californian company.

Weiss left the airline in December after six years at the helm, having joined as chief financial officer in 2014.

He was credited for facilitating Delta Air Lines’ acquisition of Singapore Airlines’ 49% stake in Virgin Atlantic and the formation of a $17 billion transatlantic joint venture with Delta and Air France-KLM. 

Weiss also guided Virgin Atlantic through the pandemic.

Navan co-founder and chief executive Ariel Cohen said: “Shai is a travel industry veteran who brings a deep understanding of the business traveller’s mindset to the board. 

“Under his leadership, Virgin Atlantic transformed into a premium, digital-first carrier with industry-leading guest satisfaction. 

“As we scale, his extensive industry expertise will help us continue to attack the $185 billion travel and expense market.”

Weiss added: “Navan’s leadership team’s commitment to a traveller-first experience, powered by world-class technology, is exactly what businesses need today. 

“Navan is a true industry disruptor - a company with the vision to build its tech stack from the ground up in service of its customers. 

“I am honoured to join the board and look forward to working alongside this world-class team to shape the future of travel and expense management.”

Before joining Virgin Group in 2006, Weiss held senior management positions at ntl:Telewest (now Virgin Media O2) and was a member of the Morgan Stanley technology investment nanking team in London.