Was Formerly Head Of Marketing

Online private aviation 'matchmaker' Virgin Charter announced Wednesday Brian Pope has been promoted to chief operating officer. Pope, who previously held the position of chief marketing officer, will now oversee Virgin Charter’s operating groups including Marketing and will continue to report to CEO Scott Duffy.

"Brian is a strategic planning and operational expert and a key member of our management team," said Duffy. "Brian played a key role in our successful launch and has been instrumental in driving our growth.  In addition to leading the marketing efforts, Brian has served as the de facto operational lead and I am pleased to formalize this."

Pope has more than 15 years in management roles with global brands. Prior to serving as chief marketing officer for Virgin Charter, he spearheaded innovative marketing programs for IMG Consulting and Universal Studios Hollywood. Pope holds a Bachelor of Science in economics from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School.

"Richard and Scott had the vision to create an online solution backed by world class customer service that is revolutionizing the private charter aviation market," said Pope. "We knew that combining one of the world’s most respected brands with some of the best minds in technology and private aviation would be a winning formula, but the demand is exponentially greater than we could have imagined."

Launched to the public in March, Virgin Charter bills itself as an online marketplace for private air travel, that makes it easier than ever to find and book charter flights on private aircraft from operators hand-picked for their exceptional safety and quality standards. Free to join, Virgin Charter’s technology solution allows clients to submit their trip request online, compare offers from top charter operators, select the best offer and buy it online.

The company is privately held and headquartered in Santa Monica, CA.

FMI: www.virgincharter.com