Cirrus Aircraft has announced that Zean Nielsen will succeed company co-founder Dale Klapmeier as CEO. Nielsen comes with an impressive resume, including “senior leadership roles” at Tesla Motors, James Hardie and Bang & Olufsen.
“I am honored and humbled to join this team of experienced general aviation leaders and a world-class workforce as we continue to bring game-changing products and services to market,” says Nielsen. “Our mission is to deliver an aviation experience that is the pinnacle of innovation, quality and safety to our customers—and that is exactly what we will continue to do for many years to come.”
The outgoing Klapmeier says of the move, “We are fortunate to have someone of Zean’s caliber and experience to lead us into the next era of growth. I am looking forward to moving into a Senior Advisory role and continuing to work with our exceptional team on reinventing the future of personal transportation.” Adding that “Cirrus Aircraft has a remarkably bright future ahead.”
Neilsen was responsible for “all aspects of Tesla Motors worldwide sales operations efforts.” He started his career at high-end electronics purveyor Bang & Olufsen, and at the end left as president of Bang & Olufsen North and South America after 17 years.
