Meet our team

Nick Diesel, Managing Director - Cargo

Meet Nick, our Managing Director. Nick joined Virgin Atlantic in 2015 and has held various senior leadership roles, most recently as Vice President, Financial Planning, leading the team through post-pandemic recovery and setting a pathway to return to profitability.

With a background in strategy and operations consultancy, Nick has worked across high-profile projects at Virgin Atlantic, including as finance lead for the Expanded Joint Venture agreement with Delta & Air France-KLM.

Mark Faulkner, Head of Cargo Commercial and Technology

Meet Mark, our Head of Cargo Commercial. Mark Joined Virgin Atlantic Cargo in 2023 from Etihad Cargo, where he held the position of Director West – Cargo Commercial.

Mark brings with him a wealth of experience spanning across revenue management to network and alliance management, and most recently held the position of Interim Managing Director – Virgin Atlantic Cargo, before Nick Diesel joined in November 2024.

Mark is responsible for leading all our cargo commercial activities, including revenue management, strategy and planning, technology and network & partnerships.

Ben Crump, Head of Cargo Operations

Meet Ben, our Head of Cargo Operations at Virgin Atlantic. Ben is responsible for overseeing all our operational and ULD activity across our global network.

With over 25 years of experience in cargo operations, Ben has played a key role in overseeing all aspects of operations across our stations, leading our global teams to achieve operational excellence across our network.

Ben has worked to support many high-profile initiatives, including cargo-only flying, charter flights, and disaster relief. These efforts have significantly contributed to the success and growth of our cargo operations, showcasing our ability to handle complex and demanding projects with ease. Ben's dedication to innovation and efficiency ensures that Virgin Atlantic's cargo operations remain at the forefront of the industry.

Steve Buckerfield, Head of Cargo Sales

Meet Steve, our Head of Cargo Sales. Steve joined Virgin Atlantic Cargo in 2016 from Toll Global Forwarding where he held the position of Managing Director for the UK & Ireland.

With a wealth of experience in air cargo and international logistics, and a background in both airline and freight forwarding, he is a natural relationship builder, helping to lead our global sales teams, and driving success for both our business and our customers.

Paulo Gomes, Senior Manager – Revenue Management

Meet Paulo, our Senior Manager – Revenue Optimisation. With a background in strategy and operations consultancy, Paulo has held various roles since joining in 2016, most recently as Manager – Cargo Strategy & Planning, leading his team to deliver strategic insight to the cargo business as well as being responsible for the planning and reporting processes. Paulo has led our revenue optimisation team since 2023, playing a key role in defining and executing our Commercial strategy.

Ryan Ellis, Senior Manager - Global Sales

Meet Ryan, our Senior Manager – Global Sales. Ryan joined Virgin Atlantic Cargo in 2010 as an Account Manager in the UK and has since held various management roles at both regional and global level.

As Senior Manager Global Sales, Ryan plays a key role in shaping the cargo sales strategy, fostering key relationships and driving customer preference.

Most recently, Ryan has lead the transition of our GSSA presence in Continental Europe with the successful completion of our partnership with TCE by ECS group.