Zean Nielsen is Chief Govt Officer at Cirrus Plane and is accountable for oversight of the corporate, working with senior leaders from throughout the enterprise to rework innovation, operations, and the shopper expertise. He joined the corporate in 2019.
With a profession rooted in globally recognised life-style manufacturers, together with Tesla Motors and Bang & Olufsen, Nielsen brings a various background of strategic planning, channel diversification, and groundbreaking advertising initiatives to Cirrus Plane.
He started his profession on the luxurious electronics maker, Bang & Olufsen, the place he shortly ascended to extra senior roles over a 17-year tenure, together with President of Bang & Olufsen North and South America. Nielsen’s work gained the discover of Tesla and Elon Musk, and he joined Tesla Motors in 2014 as World VP of Gross sales Operations, accountable for all features of worldwide gross sales operations.
Instantly previous to becoming a member of Cirrus, he served because the Govt Vice President of North American Gross sales at James Hardie, a number one industrial constructing supplies firm.
To seek out out extra about his intriguing profession, we lately caught up with Nielsen for a fast chat. We picked his mind in regards to the present — and surprisingly optimistic — local weather of the non-public aviation {industry}, in addition to what we will count on of Cirrus Plane within the close to future. Learn on for extra.
Zean, inform us extra about your self and your function at Cirrus Plane?
My identify is Zean Nielsen and I’ve been overseeing Cirrus Plane as Chief Govt Officer since 2019. I’ve over 20 years {of professional} and management expertise in luxurious manufacturing and automotive manufacturers corresponding to Tesla and James Hardie and Bang & Olufsen.
At Cirrus Plane I spearhead the strategic and monetary planning for the corporate, decide which new markets we have to penetrate and the place we will acquire essentially the most visibility. We purpose to introduce extra individuals to aviation and are quickly increasing throughout america and Asia.
You come from high-end shopper corporations corresponding to Tesla and Bang & Olufsen. How are you discovering the aviation {industry}?
Thrilled to be right here! I discover the {industry} fascinating and love discovering new methods to enhance the plane possession expertise. There are a number of similarities between my prior ventures with Tesla, James Hardie and Bang & Olufsen that immediately correlate with what Cirrus Plane is engaging in at present. Strategically talking, we’re repeatedly innovating, which is mirrored by the plane we create, the avionics we combine, and the industry-leading coaching packages we develop. Moreover, we wish to take away any boundaries of exclusivity in aviation, subsequently we deliver numerous backgrounds and experiences to the desk to higher perceive how to do this.
Contemplating the results of Covid-19, the non-public aviation {industry} appears to have achieved properly over the previous two years. Inform us extra in regards to the standing of the non-public plane {industry} proper now and the way Cirrus Plane has confronted these extraordinarily turbulent instances on a worldwide foundation?
Private aviation is on the rise and whereas the coronavirus impacted each {industry}, enterprise homeowners had been compelled to assume exterior the field, adapt to altering instances and equip themselves with options that allowed their enterprise to prevail. Now we have been working intently with people and several other enterprise homeowners who’ve been eager on discovering a secure and environment friendly strategy to proceed private or enterprise journey throughout these instances. Proudly owning an plane opens new doorways and supplies individuals with the liberty to soundly journey the world.
On each a monetary and order e-book foundation, how profitable have these previous two years been for Cirrus Plane?
We’re at present breaking all gross sales data in america and increasing our gross sales and assist crew in Asia Pacific. Cirrus Plane SR Collection is the best-selling high-performance piston plane for 19 consecutive years and our Imaginative and prescient Jet is the best-selling jet generally aviation for 2 years. In 2020, we delivered 346 SR Collection plane and 73 Imaginative and prescient Jets. The Common Aviation Producers Affiliation lately launched its report on basic aviation plane shipments stating Cirrus is a market chief with a complete of 195 SR Collection and Imaginative and prescient Jets delivered within the first six months of 2021.
As CEO of Cirrus Plane, what are your aims for the corporate?
Because the chief of a worldwide firm, you’ll be able to count on us to seem in new markets all over the world to higher serve the deep-rooted and rising aviation group. Simply this 12 months, we’ve introduced a number of Flight Coaching and Innovation Facilities that supply plane upkeep, administration, and gross sales additional supporting our plane homeowners and rising economies. We’re additionally actively recruiting as we develop.
We’re an ingenious firm and consistently discover how we will create the subsequent neatest thing for our clients. Our innovation speaks for itself if in case you have ever skilled the SR Collection plane and SF50 Imaginative and prescient Jet. For example, we’ve lately introduced G2+ Imaginative and prescient Jet which options 20 per cent extra take-off efficiency and WIFI connectivity. The newly optimised thrust profile supplies an additional enhance throughout departure and supplies entry to extra locations across the globe. We’re excited to announce new options and tailor-made providers that make flying safer, smarter, and extra handy within the close to future.
The Cirrus SR Collection has an unbelievable historical past of innovation, evolution and invention. Inform us extra in regards to the Restricted Version you launched this previous 12 months?
This 12 months, we launched eight 8000 Restricted Version SR Collection plane to have fun the supply of our 8,000th SR Collection plane. We had been impressed to create a Restricted Version that steps out of the mould and displays the vitality and pleasure of the place we’re going subsequent.
The 8000th contains a daring, new design and unapologetic accents on the outside and inside. The design is accentuated by an industry-first Volt wing paint scheme, which clearly will be seen from the bottom or sky. The unmistakable graphics and colors carry by means of into the inside with Volt stitching on the seats and embroidery on the door, and luxurious perforated leather-based on the seats, management yoke, and throttle.
Moreover, every 8000 Restricted Version plane had been delivered together with a curated sequence of items and bespoke occasions for the brand new homeowners.
How has Cirrus Plane impacted the final aviation market? How has this affected shoppers?
We’re growing an aviation expertise that’s unmatched. Whether or not you’re a scholar pilot or have a whole bunch of hours clocked, we deal with you as household and tailor each expertise in order that they’re memorable – from steady coaching choices to personalising your plane inside and exterior. Moreover, proudly owning and working a Cirrus plane enhances your life-style and supplies the chance to meet a private or enterprise want.
We actually set ourselves aside within the private aviation {industry} as a result of we’ve got integrated distinctive, award-winning security options together with the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS), an ordinary function on all Cirrus plane, and Secure Return Emergency Autoland enabled by Garmin. Thus far, worldwide flight time on Cirrus plane has handed 13 million hours and 212 individuals have returned residence safely to their households as a direct results of our CAPS expertise. With CAPS and Secure Return, persons are safer once they fly in a Cirrus and that message resonates with potential and present aviation lovers.
You present world-class coaching to Cirrus homeowners by means of each the company-owned services in addition to the companion community all over the world. How do you organise that key facet of the enterprise and guarantee such a singular service?
At Cirrus, we welcome anybody that has ever dreamed of changing into a pilot or proudly owning an plane to fulfil their dream whether or not it’s for leisure or enterprise. Our crew is concerned with clients for his or her flying lifetime. We’ve created Cirrus Strategy, an in-depth on-line flight coaching program, that walks individuals by means of flight instruction. Moreover, we’ve got Cirrus-trained flight instructors that dedicate time to reviewing course work and flying with you. We put you within the pilot seat and help you expertise what it’s prefer to fly an plane. After we work with our clients, we create milestone recollections collectively. That’s what differentiates our firm from the subsequent and makes our plane highly-sought after. With our enlargement, we’re deploying extra assets to create handy methods to achieve aviation communities which might be excited by flying with Cirrus.
Apart from security, do you see every other main traits proper now within the private aviation {industry}?
Private aviation has been positively impacted by the pandemic leading to numerous new market traits. There are three predominant traits we’ve got noticed — persons are in search of to fully management their journey expertise, develop their enterprise, or study to fly.
The place do you see Cirrus Plane in 5 years?
This can be a very thrilling time as a result of we’re rising in each approach! Cirrus Plane could have extra visibility — geographically, digitally, and in on a regular basis interactions. We could have sooner manufacturing instances and our plane will likely be seen at each airport.
What’s your favorite facet of flying?
I really like that aviation has modified my life. I will be in three totally different locations in in the future and again residence earlier than dinner. It additionally supplies me and my household with a secure strategy to journey to and from locations with out the trouble of ready in line or concern of changing into sick.
You’ll be able to study to fly too – cirrusaircraft.com/learn-to-fly.
About Cirrus Plane
Cirrus Plane is the recognised world chief in private aviation and the creator of the best-selling SR Collection piston plane and the Imaginative and prescient Jet, the world’s first single-engine Private Jet, in addition to the recipient of the Robert J. Collier Trophy, which recognises the best achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America every year.
Based in 1984, the corporate has redefined efficiency, consolation, and security in aviation with improvements just like the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) — the primary FAA-certified whole-airframe parachute security system included as customary gear on an plane. Thus far, worldwide flight time on Cirrus plane has handed 13 million hours and 212 individuals have returned residence safely to their households because of the inclusion of CAPS as an ordinary function on all Cirrus plane.
To study extra about Cirrus Plane, please go to cirrusaircraft.com.
