Lloyd was in charge of the BBC’s division responsible for audience insight, strategic development and marketing digital services such as iPlayer and BBC Online. He also had responsibility for the distribution of all other BBC marketing content across every distribution platform.

In his new job at Virgin Atlantic he will report to Julie Southern, chief commercial officer.

Lloyd’s departure from the BBC comes in the same week that a job advertisement was posted for its first head of digital marketing change, which described intentions to improve its digital marketing planning, measurement and reporting.

A BBC spokeswoman said: “The role is designed to help us fast-track some changes we want to make across marketing; to review our internal processes and operations in order to deliver on the opportunity that digital media offers to reach and engage with our audiences; and to ensure that we are able to efficiently inform audiences about the BBC’s range of digital products and services.”

Former Diageo marketer Philip Almond was recently unveiled as the BBC’s new marketing and audiences director, replacing Helen Normoyle, who left to become CMO of DFS.