Zean Nielsen is Chief Govt Officer at Cirrus Plane and is answerable for oversight of the corporate, working with senior leaders from throughout the enterprise to remodel innovation, operations, and the client expertise. He joined the corporate in 2019.
With a profession rooted in globally recognised way of life 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, answerable for all elements 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 search 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 constructive — local weather of the non-public aviation {industry}, in addition to what we will anticipate 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 title 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 comparable 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 achieve essentially the most visibility. We goal to introduce extra individuals to aviation and are quickly increasing throughout the USA and Asia.
You come from high-end client corporations comparable 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 & Olufson that immediately correlate with what Cirrus Plane is undertaking at present. Strategically talking, we’re constantly 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 obstacles of exclusivity in aviation, due to this fact we convey varied backgrounds and experiences to the desk to raised perceive how to do this.
Contemplating the results of Covid-19, the non-public aviation {industry} appears to have accomplished effectively 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 world foundation?
Private aviation is on the rise and whereas the coronavirus impacted each {industry}, enterprise house owners had been pressured 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 carefully with people and a number of other enterprise house owners who’ve been eager on discovering a protected and environment friendly solution to proceed private or enterprise journey throughout these instances. Proudly owning an plane opens new doorways and offers individuals with the liberty to securely 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 the moment breaking all gross sales data in the USA and increasing our gross sales and assist staff 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 basically aviation for 2 years. In 2020, we delivered 346 SR Collection plane and 73 Imaginative and prescient Jets. The General Aviation Manufacturers Association lately launched its report on normal 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 goals for the corporate?
Because the chief of a world firm, you may anticipate us to look in new markets around the globe to raised serve the deep-rooted and rising aviation neighborhood. Simply this 12 months, we’ve introduced a number of Flight Coaching and Innovation Facilities that provide plane upkeep, administration, and gross sales additional supporting our plane house owners and rising economies. We’re additionally actively recruiting as we broaden.
We’re an creative firm and continually discover how we will create the following smartest 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. As an illustration, we’ve lately introduced G2+ Vision Jet which options 20 per cent extra take-off efficiency and WIFI connectivity. The newly optimized thrust profile offers an additional increase throughout departure and offers 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 unimaginable 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 rejoice 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 encompasses 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 might be seen from the bottom or sky. The unmistakable graphics and colours carry by way 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 house owners.
How has Cirrus Plane impacted the overall aviation market? How has this affected customers?
We’re creating an aviation expertise that’s unmatched. Whether or not you’re a pupil 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 personalizing your plane inside and exterior. Moreover, proudly owning and working a Cirrus plane enhances your way of life and offers the chance to meet a private or enterprise want.
We actually set ourselves aside within the private aviation {industry} as a result of now we have integrated distinctive, award-winning security options together with the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS), a normal characteristic on all Cirrus plane, and Protected Return Emergency Autoland enabled by Garmin. To this point, worldwide flight time on Cirrus plane has handed 13 million hours and 212 individuals have returned dwelling safely to their households as a direct results of our CAPS know-how. With CAPS and Protected Return, persons are safer after they fly in a Cirrus and that message resonates with potential and present aviation lovers.
You present world-class coaching to Cirrus house owners by way of each the company-owned amenities in addition to the associate community around the globe. How do you organise that key side of the enterprise and guarantee such a singular service?
At Cirrus, we welcome anybody that has ever dreamed of turning into a pilot or proudly owning an plane to fulfil their dream whether or not it’s for leisure or enterprise. Our staff is concerned with clients for his or her flying lifetime. We’ve created Cirrus Approach, an in-depth on-line flight coaching program, that walks individuals by way of flight instruction. Moreover, now we have Cirrus-trained flight instructors that dedicate time to reviewing course work and flying with you. We put you within the pilot seat and can help you expertise what it’s wish to fly an plane. Once we work with our clients, we create milestone reminiscences collectively. That’s what differentiates our firm from the following and makes our plane highly-sought after. With our growth, we’re deploying extra sources to create handy methods to achieve aviation communities which might be concerned with flying with Cirrus.
Apart from security, do you see another main tendencies proper now within the non-public aviation {industry}?
Private aviation has been positively impacted by the pandemic leading to varied new market tendencies. There are three fundamental tendencies now we have noticed – persons are searching for to utterly management their journey expertise, develop their enterprise, or be taught 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 manner! 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 probably be seen at each airport.
What’s your favorite side of flying?
I like that aviation has modified my life. I might be in three completely different locations in at some point and again dwelling earlier than dinner. It additionally offers me and my household with a protected solution to journey to and from locations with out the trouble of ready in line or worry of turning into sick.
You may be taught to fly too – cirrusaircraft.com/learn-to-fly.
About Cirrus Plane
Cirrus Plane is the acknowledged 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 acknowledges the best achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America annually.
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. To this point, worldwide flight time on Cirrus plane has handed 13 million hours and 212 individuals have returned dwelling safely to their households because of the inclusion of CAPS as a normal characteristic on all Cirrus plane.
To be taught extra about Cirrus Plane, please go to cirrusaircraft.com.
