Wheels Up CEO To Step Down

Executive changes continue at private charter provider Wheels Up with an announcement on Tuesday that company founder Kenny Dichter will be stepping down from his role as CEO. Wheels Up chief financial officer Todd Smith has been named interim CEO and an executive search firm has been retained to find a permanent CEO. Dichter will remain a member of the company’s board of directors. Wheels Up also stated that current board member Ravi Thakran will be serving as executive chairman.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank our 12,000+ loyal members and customers—and the incredible Wheels Up team—who have made the company what it is today,” said Dichter. “As we continue our path to profitability, this is the right time to take on a new role where I will support Ravi and Todd and the business.”

Last week, Wheels Up announced that it was replacing its chief marketing officer and hiring a new chief digital officer. As previously reported by AVweb, the company posted a net loss of $555 million in 2022 and $197 million in 2021. Wheels Up was founded in 2013 and went public in 2021.