Will Whitehorn is Chancellor of Edinburgh Napier University. The Chancellor is the titular head of the institution and confers degrees and other awards of the University.

A former executive at the Virgin Group, Will also holds boardroom roles at The Scottish Gallery Employee Ownership Trust, Scottish Event Campus, Craneware, Good Energy and AAC Clyde Space AB. His business interests include travel, technology and communication as well as leadership, marketing and product design.

Educated at Edinburgh Academy and the University of Aberdeen, Will enjoyed watching aircraft at Edinburgh Airport as a youngster and spent his early career as a crewman on North Sea search-and-rescue helicopters.

After stints at Thomas Cook, TSB Group and Lombard Communications, he was recruited to Virgin to boost the Group’s image in the City, and became a key lieutenant to Sir Richard Branson.  As Brand Development and Corporate Affairs Director, he was at the heart of the entertainment, media and travel giant’s relentless quest for new business opportunities.

Will worked on a series of major Virgin projects, including the Pendolino train, and later took up the post of President at Virgin Galactic, which saw him play a central role in developing the concept of commercial space travel.

After moving on from Virgin Galactic as it entered a new stage of development, he returned to brand and communications work, also holding board positions at Purplebricks, Stagecoach and Transport Systems Catapult.