Virgin Group appoints Paul Ostryzniuk as first ECD

Virgin Group has appointed Paul Ostryzniuk as its first Executive Creative Director, marking a strategic push to strengthen creativity, speed, and brand distinction across its global businesses.

Paul brings more than 20 years of creative leadership across design, technology, content, and experience. He joins Virgin from AKQA, where he led campaigns for brands including Nike, LEGO, MINI, and BAFTA.

Leading Virgin Creative Studio

In his new role, Paul will head Virgin’s in-house Creative Studio, defining how the brand appears across campaigns, products, and every customer touchpoint.

Sam Kelly, Chief Experience Officer, Virgin: "Creativity isn’t a department, it’s how we serve our customers better, faster, and more meaningfully. Paul’s appointment signals a step-change. We’re building an in-house studio that can move at the speed of culture, powered by data and tech, but rooted in human understanding. Paul’s vision and energy are exactly what we need for this next chapter."

Paul recently spoke at a Cannes Lions learning panel, discussing the importance of continuous learning and reskilling in the creative industry.

Reinforcing Virgin’s customer focus

Virgin has a long history of putting customers first, from Virgin Records making music accessible to Virgin Atlantic transforming air travel with service and fun. As customer expectations evolve rapidly, the group is bringing creative expertise directly in-house to stay ahead.

Paul will also oversee creative experience for Virgin Red, the company’s loyalty programme connecting customers to rewards across Virgin companies and partner brands. He aims to make Virgin Red a key expression of the brand, more rewarding, distinctive, and culturally relevant.

Paul Ostryzniuk: "Virgin has always had a point of view. It’s a rebel that doesn’t follow convention, at its strongest when delighting its customers. It doesn’t whisper, it doesn’t blend in, and this role is about sharpening that voice. It’s about building and nurturing a team that designs experiences people actually care about, so Virgin earns the modern-day attention its legacy is built upon."

Scaling design and talent

As Executive Creative Director, Paul will scale Virgin’s global design systems, mentor multidisciplinary creative talent, and ensure the brand continues to stand out. His appointment coincides with Virgin’s investment in experience-led growth, combining creative, tech, and data under one roof to serve customers with agility and imagination.

Paul will be based at Virgin’s Whitfield Studios HQ in London and has started immediately.

www.virgin.com

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