Alex Tai, Team Principal
High Flier
Alex was born into the RAF, joining the air cadets as a child and excelling at sport;
winning awards in Athletics, Shooting and Flying.
At 18 Alex got a direct entry commission into the RAF attending the RAF College
at Cranwell. His love of speed and a tendency for low flying meant that any future
forces career would be spent flying transport planes, so instead he elected to leave
the RAF for the world of executive jets.
He flew Lear Jets and Gulf Streams and also started to get hands-on business
experience by running the family employment business. Enjoying the cut and thrust
of this business he started his own property development company which he
managed for eight years.
Combining business with flying, he joined the charter airline Airworld, flying A320
aircraft. In '95 came Alex's first foray with Virgin, flying Airbus A340s Captain with
Virgin Atlantic.
In '97 he discussed the opportunity of redeveloping Northolt airport with Richard
Branson, who saw the potential and bought into the plan. This was the start of Alex
Tai’s close working relationship with the Virgin boss.
His brief was to find projects which put the cutting edge back into the Virgin
brand. This has included sponsorship of the London Marathon, the Global Row and
of course the Round the World Balloon challenges.
In the late '90s Alex met adventurer Steve Fossett and the two formed a close
friendship bringing in 11 World Records for Executive Jets, including
circumnavigating the world East and West. Virgin also sponsored Fossett as he
undertook the first solo Around the World Non-Stop Aircraft record.
In '04 Alex met Burt Rutan, the man who would, through his company Mojave
Aerospace Ventures, provide the technology for the Virgin Galactic project. Alex
took the idea for Virgin Galactic to Richard Branson and together they quite
literally launched the Virgin brand into the stratosphere.
Later that year, Alex Tai became Chief Operating Officer of Virgin Galactic,
responsible for leading the company towards its first commercial flight in space
which is now only two years away.
He was Chairman of the Spaceflight industry from '05 to '09, which involved
interacting between the airline regulator, the administrator and the White House.
The Virgin Galactic project has seen American laws being changed at both State
and Federal level along with delicate negotiations to raise taxes for the support of
the project. During this period, in ’07, he also became Director of Special Projects
for the Group.
Formula 1 represents an exciting new challenge for a man who likes to forge his
own path. Alex has obtained a wealth of experience in the areas of politics and
negotiating, something that will stand him in good stead for his role as Team
Principal of Virgin Racing. His wife Tina is a Doctor of Psychology, which may also
prove useful.
Alex is very much at home on the road and until now has divided his time between
houses in London, Nice and Athens. The F1 calendar will soon put paid to that. He
enjoys skiing, diving and windsurfing and his warrior spirit is encapsulated in the
lyric of one his favourite music tracks by Kasabian: “Take me into the fight…and I’m
on fire.”
Big Moments
nd
‘66
Born on an RAF base in Germany, 22
October
'84
RAF Cranfield, en route to becoming a commissioned officer
'88
Flying Executive Jets
‘92
Formed his property development company
‘95
Joined Virgin Atlantic
‘97
Talks with Richard Branson. A role in Special Projects follows.
‘04
Birth of Virgin Galactic – becomes Chief Operating Officer
‘05
Became a trustee of Virgin HEMS, London’s emergency
helicopter
‘09
Entry into F1 as sponsor with Brawn GP
Coming soon…
Alex hands over the cockpit
cockpit to race drivers Timo Glock
and Lucas di Grassi and takes up a seat on the Virgin
Racing pitwall