Richard Masters | VP Data & AI
Virgin atlantic

Richard Masters is Vice President of Data & AI at Virgin Atlantic, where he leads the airline’s data-driven transformation by spearheading the development and execution of a comprehensive Data & AI strategy. Richard is at the forefront of building Virgin Atlantic’s central enterprise data platform and AI ecosystem, ensuring the responsible and innovative application of AI across the entire business. His directorate encompasses BI, Advanced Analytics, Data Science, Engineering, Governance and Product development.
 
Richard brings over 15 years of extensive experience in AI and data product development across diverse industries. Before joining Virgin Atlantic, he held roles at BAE Systems AI (formerly Detica), where he specialised in technical consulting, graph technologies and decision intelligence. At EY UK, Richard led the Data Science & Engineering product builds within the Forensics division, driving AI-enabled solutions across sectors such as banking, pharmaceuticals, utilities, travel, and retail.
 
Richard’s journey into AI began with a PhD in Astrophysics from the University of Oxford, where his work focused on building instrumentation and managing complex, noisy data to investigate dark matter composition in distant galaxies.
 
His passion for innovation continues to drive Virgin Atlantic’s commitment to leveraging AI to enhance customer experience and operational excellence.