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What An Executive Departure Could Mean For Virgin America

January 5, 2009 at 2:02 PM | by | Comments (2)

When news broke in December that Virgin America CFO Robert Dana would be leaving come 2009, we didn't mention the story, preferring to let Wonky Aviation Industry Insiders* handle the minutiae of the comings and goings of financial wizards. But, as one of our astute commenters reminds us, Dana isn't just any bean counter: He's the guy that drew up the original business plan for the innovative airline that's been our favorite domestic carrier for two straight years.

Says Kirkland78:

What about the very recent changes in top management? Do they foreshadow other changes? Everybody loves Charles, but the heart and soul of Virgin America is leaving and you haven't said a word. (How does the culture look going forward--an awful lot of legacy people there.)

It's a fair question, particularly for a scrappy startup with a relatively small number of employees that prides itself on doing things a bit differently. How much did Dana really influence the day to day? With both Dana and Ogilvie out, will Virgin America be able keep the innovation coming? And how much influence can any one person (not named Steve Jobs) really have on a brand?

They aren't questions VA's likely to answer, so we're kicking them to you, the commenters. Don't be shy!

* Not a real magazine.

Related Stories:
· Virgin America's Chief Financial Officer to Depart [Press Release]
· Charles Ogilvie: Leaving Virgin America, Heading for China [Jaunted]

[Photo: shell_s]

Comments (2)

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cause for concern

he listed his official reason for leaving as the gruesome commute from NYC (where his family is) to CA (where the HQ is). so i can totally understand that. but it is worrisome that both he and charles ogilvie have left. those two were the original employees outlining what makes VA so different from the rest.

i just wonder if they are going to stop being different and start being crappy like the rest of the airlines. kind of like jetblue.

when they first came out, they had reasonable fares, cool amenities, and friendly staff. then after a while, it was no different than flying a bigger airline in terms of price. that said, i do think jetblue is trying really hard to get back on track. but they probably have virgin america to thank for that!

juliana on January 5, 2009 at 2:45 PM #Permalink

I'm not worried

While I think Juliana's right about the slide of JetBlue, which is coming to an end, I blame that mostly on their expansion and evolution from niche carrier to big international carrier. All Virgin ever talks about is not becoming a major player and instead focusing on doing a little bit very well.

While a loss like this might temporarily hurt, I think the brand and the already-established vision should keep them safe--as long as oil prices don't force any desperation plays!
pbb on January 5, 2009 at 3:02 PM #Permalink

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