ZEAN NIELSEN:
Inspiring Great Take-offs and Landings By Nancy Nwelati Coll
Udholdenhed! That’s the word a young Danish Zean Nielsen would have used to describe the power behind his successful take-off into the world of leadership – it means, ‘perseverance’! Today, Zean lives in the United States and is CEO of Cirrus Aircraft, inspiring a more accessible and personal experience in aviation through innovation and attention to the values of flight enthusiasts. Here is a soundbite of a great conversation the AviNation team had with Zean at AirVenture 2022. AviNation: How were you introduced to aviation, and how did that get you to where you are today? Zean: I grew up in a small town in Denmark, 3,000 people, a tiny town. My father bought a small farm that bordered up to a small airport. I played
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semi-professional soccer in my youth, and I would go run by the airport. I would see all the 172s take off, the gliders, and so forth. Then, every year the airport authority would organize a day for all the neighbors to come out and fly. The first plane I flew was a glider. I was 9 years old. Obviously, I didn’t fly it, but I was in it. It was one of those where there was a stationary crane that pulled you up. But I never got into flying until I joined Cirrus. AviNation: What was your first job, and do you remember anything from it that helps you today? Zean: Yes. My first job was with Bang & Olufsen, a high-end electronics company. I started my journey there as an intern, got into the sales and marketing part of it, then the distribution/development part of it. I moved to the US in 1999, and ended up running the North and South American aspect as the President of Bang & Olufsen. I left that company to go to work for Tesla, for Elon Musk, for four years.