Virgin Atlantic appoints Simon Hawkins as VP, Americas

Virgin Atlantic has appointed Simon Hawkins as its new vice-president, Americas, effective Oct. 1, 2024.

Hawkins has been at Virgin Atlantic for 17 years, including nearly three years on secondment to Delta Air Lines.

He’s been responsible for more than £1 billion of Americas revenue this year including record sales from the US point of sale, driving the airline’s success in the region.

In this expanded role, Simon will oversee Virgin Atlantic teams across the US, Canada, and the Caribbean. His cross-functional leadership will span Commercial, Airports, Finance, People, and more, across 20 destinations. Simon will work with leaders in the UK to develop and execute the regional strategy.

“I am incredibly excited to take on this new challenge. The Americas region at Virgin Atlantic is one of the most important revenue drivers, and collectively this team has delivered record-breaking achievements across the business,” Hawkins said. “We look forward to continuing a successful trajectory through the end of year and into 2025. I look forward to building on this with our extraordinary team and our partners across the region including our Atlanta-based colleagues at Delta.”

“We are delighted to appoint Simon to VP, Americas, representing our US heartland including key business and leisure gateways from New York to Los Angeles and premium sun destinations across Florida to the Caribbean,” said Juha Jarvinen, chief commercial officer, Virgin Atlantic. Simon has played a fundamental role in our return to profitability leading North American sales with record-breaking revenue months throughout the summer. I know he’ll bring enthusiasm, insight, and ambition to our Commercial Leadership Team.”