Mr. Dichter is the Founder of Wheels Up and served as CEO and Chairman since its inception in 2013 until May 2023. In 2021, Wheels Up (NYSE: UP) became the first publicly traded on-demand private aviation company on the New York Stock Exchange.
Mr. Dichter is a renowned entrepreneur with expertise in aviation, branding, marketing, public relations, and advertising. Regarded as a disruptor in private aviation, Mr. Dichter founded Marquis Jet in 2001 and pioneered the first-ever fractional jet card. He served as Chief Executive Officer and as Chairman of Marquis Jet and oversaw its sale to Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway’s NetJets in 2010. Mr. Dichter once again disrupted the industry in 2013 with Wheels Up. Through its membership business model and innovative digital platform, Wheels Up has increased the accessibility of private air travel for millions of consumers. In 2020, Wheels Up partnered with Delta Air Lines to acquire Delta Private Jets, creating one of the industry’s largest owned and managed fleets of private aircraft and bringing Delta aboard as a significant Wheels Up shareholder.
Mr. Dichter also co-founded Tequila Avion, an ultra-premium tequila brand which was acquired by Pernod Ricard in 2014; he is an original investor in Juice Press, an organic food and juice company with locations across the United States; and he co-founded Alphabet City, a sports marketing and music company that was sold to Robert Sillerman’s SFX Entertainment in 1998.
A committed philanthropist, Mr. Dichter spearheaded Meals Up with Wheels Up partners and ambassadors in support of Feeding America, the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States. Meals Up was created in 2020 at the onset of the global pandemic and since then has raised and inspired nearly 90 million meals for Americans struggling with food insecurity.
Mr. Dichter received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he remains an active alumnus and supporter. In 2019, he partnered with the Office of Admissions and Recruitment to launch the Fly High Fund to support a more diverse student population by building student networks from around the country and encouraging them to attend the University.