Virgin Atlantic names Alex Alexander Chief Digital & Information Officer

New CDIO to accelerate AI and data

Virgin Atlantic has created a Chief Digital & Information Officer (CDIO) role and appointed Alex Alexander to lead it from 13 April 2026. Reporting into the executive Leadership Team, the cross‑functional position will oversee Technology, Digital Development, Data, Artificial Intelligence and Transformation. The aim is to give the airline a single digital helm, accelerating priority programmes and aligning architecture, security and data governance across the group.

The airline already has a solid cloud and data footing through partnerships with Microsoft and Databricks to industrialise use cases focused on customer experience, operational excellence and revenue creation. The recent launch of a new app integrating Virgin Atlantic Concierge, an AI‑powered travel companion, illustrates the move to scale. The leadership team believes Alexander’s expertise will support smarter operations and deepen service personalisation.

Corneel Koster, chief executive of Virgin Atlantic, said: “We’re excited to welcome Alex as we step up efforts to deliver a seamless digital experience to our customers and our people. His deep expertise in digital transformation, advanced analytics and AI adoption will further support Virgin Atlantic in harnessing cutting-edge technology to plan smarter, operate more efficiently and serve our customers more personally, alongside our amazing people.”

Alexander previously served as Group Chief Technology Officer at Emirates Group, Group Chief Information Officer at YOOX NET‑A‑PORTER and Group Chief Product & Technology Officer at Adevinta, following roles at WalmartLabs. As founder and CEO of XOOTS, a suite of AI solutions for talent recruitment, he brings a combined product and data background. His remit will span enterprise‑level technology roadmapping and delivery, from customer‑facing digital platforms to mission‑critical operational systems.

“Innovation is firmly in the DNA of Virgin Atlantic and I’m delighted to join such an iconic brand,” Alexander said. “We have a huge opportunity to accelerate our digital journey and to scale up industry‑leading AI capabilities. I’m really looking forward to leading the team as we harness technology to enhance the customer experience, drive operational excellence and power the airline’s next chapter.”

For Virgin Atlantic, which positions itself in the premium long‑haul segment, mastery of data and AI is becoming a key competitive lever. In the short term, the company is targeting tangible improvements to digital journeys, customer relations and operational reliability. Over the medium term, strengthening the data and AI foundations is intended to speed time‑to‑market for new services and open up additional revenue opportunities while improving process efficiency.