Our leadership team

David (Dave) Emerson

Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director

Dave was appointed Chief Executive Officer in March 2025 and joined the Board as Managing Director in June 2025.

Dave has over 25 years of experience in the aviation sector. Prior to his appointment, Dave was Virgin Australia’s Chief Commercial Officer where he played a key role in the airline’s commercial transformation and growth.

Prior to Dave’s positions at Virgin Australia, he led the Global Airline Practice at
consulting firm Bain & Company based in Dallas, Texas. In this role with Bain, he
advised dozens of major airlines (across all major geographies) undergoing substantial commercial and operational transformation.

Dave has a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Media from Stanford University, and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Pippa Downes

Independent Non-Executive Director

Pippa joined the Board in March 2025 as an independent Non-Executive Director. Pippa has over 25 years’ experience across global financial services organisations, including executive roles as managing director and equity partner at Goldman Sachs JB Were.

Pippa also currently serves as a director of ASX listed Ingenia Communities and Australian Technology Innovators (InfoTrack and LEAP Software). She is also a member of AustralianSuper’s investment committee and is a member of Chief Executive Women.

Pippa’s previous experience includes director roles at ASX Clearing and Settlement companies, Zip Co, ALE Property Group and Windlab. Pippa has also served as a director of The Pinnacle Foundation, Swimming Australia and as a commissioner of Sport Australia.

Pippa has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (Accounting/Finance) from the University of California, Berkeley and a Masters of Applied Finance from Macquarie University.

Melinda Conrad

Independent Non-Executive Director

Melinda joined the Board in June 2025 as an independent Non-Executive Director. Melinda has over 25 years of experience in business strategy and marketing, bringing expertise from various industries including retail, financial services, energy, and technology. She has served as a strategy and marketing adviser, held executive roles at Colgate-Palmolive, and founded and managed a retail business.

An experienced company director, Melinda is currently on the board of Ampol Limited, Stockland Corporation Limited, ASX Limited, and PentenAmio Pty Ltd. Her previous directorships include roles at OFX Group Limited, The Reject Shop Limited, and David Jones Limited.

Melinda is also a director of the Centre for Independent Studies, a member of the AICD Corporate Governance Committee, and a former Advisory Board Member of Five V Capital. She is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a Member of Chief Executive Women.

Melinda holds a Bachelor of Arts from Wellesley College and a Masters of Business Administration from Harvard Business School.

Ryan Cotton

Non-Executive Director

Ryan joined the Virgin Australia Board in 2020 as a Non-Executive Director and served as its Chair from November 2020 to May 2025.

Ryan is a Partner at Bain Capital which he joined in 2003. He has served as the Global Head of Consumer Private Equity; he is currently the Head of Bain Capital Real Estate, a role he assumed in 2023. Throughout his tenure at Bain Capital, Ryan has helped steer a number of significant investments including Apple Leisure Group, Sundial Brands, International Market Centers, Varsity Brands and others. Before joining Bain Capital, Ryan was a consultant at Bain & Company, and prior to that, he worked in baseball operations at the Boston Red Sox. He is also a director of Canada Goose Holdings Inc. Ryan has a Masters of Business Administration from The Stanford Graduate School of Business and a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Princeton University.

Michael (Mike) Murphy

Non-Executive Director

Mike joined the Virgin Australia Board in November 2020 as a Non-Executive Director.

Mike joined Bain Capital in 2015 and is a Partner on the Asia Pacific Private Equity team at Bain Capital. He played a leading role in opening and building the Australian business. Mike has served on several of Bain Capital’s investee company boards and is currently also the Chairman of Estia Health. Previously he was an investment professional at Wolseley Private Equity and a consultant at Bain & Company.

Mike has an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and Bachelor of Commerce from Bond University.

Charles Lawson

Non-Executive Director

Charles joined the Virgin Australia Board of Directors in November 2020 as a Non-Executive Director (alternate), and was appointed as a Non-Executive Director in March 2025.

Charles joined Bain Capital in 2016 and is a Partner on the Asia Pacific Private Equity team, based in Sydney. Charles has served on a number of Bain Capital’s investee company boards and is currently a Non-Executive Director of Estia Health.

Previously, Charles was an investment professional at Advent International in New York. Prior to that, he was a management consultant with Bain & Company, and a lawyer.

Charles has an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and holds a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) from the University of Sydney.

Warwick Negus

Non-Executive Director

Warwick joined the Virgin Australia Board in January 2017 as a Non-Executive Director.

Warwick has extensive experience spanning over 40 years in the finance industry. He is the currently the chairman of ASX listed Bank of Queensland and Dexus Funds Management.

Prior executive roles include chief executive of Colonial First State Global Asset Management, chief executive of 452 Capital, and a managing director of Goldman Sachs in Australia, London and Singapore. Warwick was also previously a director of ASX-listed Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Century Investments Ltd and chairman of ASX-listed Pengana Capital and ASX-listed URB Investment Ltd.

Warwick has a Bachelor of Business from the University of Technology Sydney and a Masters of Commerce from the University of New South Wales.

Dimitri Courtelis

Non-Executive Director

Dimitri joined the Virgin Australia Board in May 2025 as a Non-Executive Director.

Dimitri has extensive experience spanning over 25 years in the finance function in both professional services and corporate roles across several global jurisdictions. He is currently the group chief financial officer of the ASX-listed SunRice Group, has previously worked in senior finance roles at Etihad Airways and held group CFO positions with Air Serbia and Air Berlin. Earlier in his career, Dimitri worked for EY and Deloitte.

Dimitri has a Bachelor of Accounting Science from the University of South Africa.
He is a qualified chartered accountant (ICAA), certified fraud examiner (ACFE) and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors Company Directors Course (GAICD).

Race Strauss

Chief Financial Officer

Race joined Virgin Australia in June 2022 and was appointed as Chief Financial Officer in March 2023.

Race brings over 25 years of experience across financial leadership roles in the airline and consumer sectors.

Prior to his appointment, Race was Chief Financial Officer of The a2 Milk Company and held various financial leadership roles at Qantas Group, including Chief Financial Officer of Qantas Airlines and was Group CFO of Jetstar Airlines. He also held a number of senior leadership roles at Unilever, including as Vice President of Finance South-East Asia and Australasia.

Race has a Bachelor of Business (Double Major in Accounting and Hotel Management) from Griffith University.

Nick Rohrlach

Chief Executive Officer – Velocity
Group Executive – VARA

Nick joined Virgin Australia as Chief Executive Officer, Velocity Frequent Flyer, in September 2021.

Prior to his appointment, Nick held several executive positions at Jetstar, including Co-CEO and Executive Director (Jetstar Japan) and Executive Manager of Customer and Strategy. He also directed the launch of Jetstar in Hong Kong.

Before joining Jetstar, Nick was at The Boston Consulting Group for eight years working in the Sydney and Dubai offices. He was a management consultant, providing advice to a range of international clients, including several airlines.

Nick has a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) from the University of Western Australia.

Alistair Hartley

Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer

Alistair joined Virgin Australia as Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer in March 2021.

Alistair has over 20 years of experience in strategy in the aviation sector, including executive roles at TACA (Central America), Virgin Atlantic Airways (UK) and Jetstar Airways.

Before joining Virgin Australia, Alistair spent more than five years at International Airlines Group (IAG) in the United Kingdom, most recently as Director of Strategy. Prior to entering aviation, Alistair worked as a management consultant with Bain & Company working across a range of industries and clients based out of both the Sydney and San Francisco offices.

Alistair has a Bachelor of Civil Engineering from the University of Sydney.

Libby Minogue

Chief Marketing Officer

Libby joined Virgin Australia as Chief Marketing Officer in April 2021.

Libby has more than 25 years of extensive marketing and commercial experience spanning media, content, digital and technology businesses across Australia and United States markets.

Prior to joining Virgin Australia, Libby held senior executive roles at various media and technology companies including REA Group, Foxtel Media and FOX Cable Networks in the United States.

Libby has a Bachelor of Business from Charles Sturt University.

Stuart Aggs

Chief Risk Officer

Stuart joined Virgin Australia in 2004 and was appointed Chief Risk Officer in March 2025.

From 2004 to 2019, Stuart held a wide range of operational roles at Virgin Australia across compliance and regulation, safety, and flight operations including serving as Director of Group Flight Operations. In 2019, Stuart was appointed Chief Operations Officer and led the operations group through the COVID-19 pandemic, the recovery, and relaunch of the airline post administration.

Prior to joining Virgin Australia, he held roles at REX and Hazleton Airlines, focused on flight operations, safety, compliance, quality assurance, and regulatory affairs.

Stuart has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of New England and a Master of Science & Technology in Aviation from the University of New South Wales. 

Christian Bennett

Chief Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Officer

Christian joined Virgin Australia as Chief Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Officer in November 2022.

Prior to his appointment, Christian was the Chief Reputation Officer at Woolworths Group. He has extensive experience across senior corporate-affairs related appointments including at General Electric, BHP Billiton and Santos.

Before entering the private sector, Christian spent 14 years with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, including diplomatic postings to Harare, Washington DC and as Australian High Commissioner to Brunei. He also served on secondments as North Asia adviser in the Foreign Minister’s Office and as an international adviser in the Prime Minister’s Department.

Christian has a Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Law (Honours) from the University of Melbourne as well as a Master of Business Administration from the Melbourne Business School.

Susan Schneider

Chief Legal Officer

Susan joined Virgin Australia in 2012 and was appointed Chief Legal Officer and Company Secretary in March 2021.

Susan has more than 20 years of legal and risk experience in Australia and overseas.

Prior to joining Virgin Australia, Susan worked in the London office of international law firm Clifford Chance and in the Brisbane office of McCullough Robertson, advising on corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions and corporations law.

Susan has a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts (Justice Studies) from the Queensland University of Technology.

Paul Jones

Chief Commercial Officer

Paul joined Virgin Australia in 2021 and was appointed Chief Commercial Officer in March 2025.

Paul has extensive experience in aviation, fast moving consumer goods and technology businesses in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Before joining Virgin Australia, Paul worked at Qantas in a variety of customer, operations and technology roles including, as Chief Operating Officer. Prior to Qantas, Paul was Chief Information Officer and Vice President of Integration at Mars, based in the United States. In his current role, Paul oversees the Commercial, Customer, and digital functions for Virgin Australia.

Paul has a Master of Business Administration from the Melbourne Business School.

Lisa Burquest

Chief People Officer

Lisa joined Virgin Australia as Chief People Officer in February 2021.

Lisa has over 30 years of experience as a people and culture specialist working for ASX listed companies including BHP, Origin Energy, Jetstar/Qantas Airlines and The a2 Milk Company.

Lisa is equipped with strong practical expertise in developing and executing successful ‘people and culture’ strategies in organisations undergoing significant transformation and growth.

Lisa has a Bachelor of Business in Logistics, Materials and Supply Chain Management from RMIT University.

Chris Snook

Chief Operations Officer

Chris joined Virgin Australia in 2021 to lead engineering and was appointed Chief Operating Officer in February 2025.

A veteran in aviation and airlines, Chris has over 39 years’ experience having held senior executive operational and engineering roles at Qantas and Jetstar, domestically and internationally.

His comprehensive operational and safety management background is backed by numerous regulatory approvals through the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and International Airworthiness Authorities, covering all aspects of airline operations.

Chris is a licensed Aircraft Engineer with technical expertise in Boeing and Airbus aircraft, complemented by specialised Aviation training in safety management systems, accident investigation, human factors and aircraft design.