Business
Navan Appoints Shai Weiss to Board of Directors
Travel industry veteran and former Virgin Atlantic CEO brings significant financial and operational expertise to Navan’s Board PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS
About this update from Navan, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"\nTravel industry veteran and former Virgin Atlantic CEO brings significant financial and operational expertise to Navan’s Board\n\n\n PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--\nNavan (NASDAQ: NAVN), the leading all-in-one business travel, payments, and expense management platform, today announced the appointment of Shai Weiss to its Board of Directors, effective immediately. Weiss, the former CEO of Virgin Atlantic, brings decades of executive leadership, a digital-first mindset, and extensive travel industry experience to Navan’s Board.\n\nThis press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260127491739/en/\n“Shai is a travel industry veteran who brings a deep understanding of the business traveler’s mindset to the board,” said Ariel Cohen, CEO and co-founder of Navan. “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.”\n\n\n“Navan’s leadership team's commitment to a traveler-first experience, powered by world-class technology, is exactly what businesses need today,” said Weiss. “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 honored to join the Board and look forward to working alongside this world-class team to shape the future of travel and expense management.”\n\n\nWeiss served as Virgin Atlantic’s CEO from January 2019 until December 2025 and was an Executive Director of its Board starting in 2014. Weiss joined Virgin Atlantic as Chief Financial Officer in 2014 and later served as Chief Commercial Officer before being named CEO. Weiss facilitated 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, with Virgin Atlantic as a founding member. He achieved record performance during his tenure and guided Virgin Atlantic successfully through the pandemic.\n\n\nBefore joining the Virgin Group in 2006, he held several senior management positions at ntl:Telewest (now Virgin Media O2), the U.K. and Europe’s largest cable operator, and he was a member of the Morgan Stanley T...