Senior team

Our senior team has many years collective investment and operational experience at Virgin. Meet the team here.
Senior-Team Josh

Josh Bayliss

Josh Bayliss has been CEO of Virgin Group since 2011. He has led the development of the Group’s strategy, with significant emphasis on the Virgin brand. Under Josh’s leadership, the Group has started and grown new businesses in a range of consumer industries. It has also diversified its investment portfolio into unbranded venture capital, real estate and a range of ESG investments. 

Virgin.com

Holly Branson

Holly Branson is the Chief Purpose and Vision Officer on the Virgin leadership team, Chair of Virgin Unite, and Founder and Trustee of Big Change.

After achieving medical and physiology degrees and realising her dream of working as a doctor, Holly joined the Virgin Group as a member of the leadership team in 2008. She dedicates her time to her passions: people, purpose, the environment and developing Virgin’s vision of a better future for all, based on: flourishing people, thriving communities, a healthy planet for all and radical collaboration. 

In 2018, Holly published her first book, the international best-seller: WEconomy and is behind Virgin Management and Virgin StartUp signing up to the Better Business Act - an important campaign calling for a crucial change to Company Law that will ensure that all businesses in the UK, have a legal obligation to do the right thing for their people, the communities they serve and our wonderful planet.

Senior-Team Ian

Ian Woods

Ian Woods is the General Counsel and COO of the Virgin Group and has been with Virgin since 2005. Ian holds responsibility across various functions within Virgin Management. This includes legal, people, company secretarial, facilities and IT. Ian previously worked for leading international law firm Slaughter and May. 

Senior-Team Peter

Peter Norris

Peter Norris is the Chairman of the Virgin Group, a position he took up in 2009. Prior to this he had acted as an adviser to the Group from 1996 and had chaired Virgin Active from 2002 to 2007. He also currently chairs Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Hotels. Peter has over 40 years’ experience in investment banking and business management.  

Ash headshot

Ash Shah

Ash Shah has been the Finance Director of the Virgin Group since Jan 2021 and is responsible for the day to day leadership and management of all financial matters for Group including Tax and Treasury.  Ash has over 30 years of experience in mergers and acquisitions, corporate and international tax planning and risk management. Ash qualified with Coopers and Lybrand (now PwC) and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants (FCA).

Nikki Humphrey

Nikki Humphrey

Nikki Humphrey is the Chief People Officer for the Virgin Group. She is excited to be leading on critical areas such as wellbeing, future of work, talent development, human leadership and inclusion. 

Prior to this role, Nikki was Chief People Officer at John Lewis Partnership. And before that, she held the position of Chief People Officer at Virgin Atlantic for four years, where she was a member of the Virgin Atlantic Foundation, which focuses on encouraging more girls into STEM education. 

Nikki’s 25-year career spans many sectors including retail, aviation, banking, insurance, asset management, media, manufacturing and engineering. Her passion lies in helping individuals, teams and businesses flourish, achieve their potential and deliver stellar performance.

andrea-burchett

Andrea Burchett

Andrea Burchett is Chief Loyalty Officer Virgin Group, responsible for the overall strategy and direction of the group’s customer loyalty business, Virgin Red. Prior to Virgin, Andrea worked at IAG and spent 15 years in the loyalty industry playing a key role in the creation and growth of Avios. She holds a BSc in Business and Management and Advanced Management at Chicago Booth University.

claire-hilton

Claire Hilton

Claire Hilton is Chief Brand Officer, Virgin Group, responsible for the overall Virgin masterbrand strategy and direction. Claire previously worked at BT and Barclays in various roles including Chief of Staff, UK Marketing Director and Managing Director, Global Brand & Insight. Claire is also a Non-Exec Director at the Advertising Standards Authority, an active member of Women in Advertising & Communications London (WACL) and a member of the Marketing Group of Great Britain.

joe-margison

Joe Margison

Joe Margison is the Chief Commercial Officer of the Virgin Group and has been with Virgin since 2015. With over 20 years’ experience in investment and finance, he is an operating partner to the Group’s branded businesses and oversees the real estate portfolio. He also represents the Group on various Virgin company Boards. Prior to this, Joe was with the New Zealand Superannuation Fund investing in private equity, credit, and real estate. He has BCom from Auckland University and is a Chartered Accountant.

Luigi-Brambilla

Luigi Brambilla

Luigi is the Managing Director, Portfolio Investments & Capital Markets. He joined Virgin in 2013 and has played a key role in a number of M&A and capital markets transactions for the group across our aviation, holidays, cruises, loyalty, wellness and entertainment sectors. He currently serves as a director on the board of Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Voyages. Prior to joining Virgin, Luigi worked at private equity firm Clayton Dubilier & Rice (2010-13) and in the Investment Banking division at Citigroup (2006-10). He holds a BA in Economics and a MSc in International Management from Bocconi University in Milan, Italy.