Cirrus Aircraft has brought on board a seasoned sales executive, Zean Nielsen, to succeed Dale Klapmeier as CEO. Nielsen stepped into his new role on June 3, marking a major transition for Duluth, Minnesota aircraft manufacturer that has been attached to the Klapmeier name since Dale and his brother Alan co-founded it in 1984. Dale Klapmeier announced at the end of last year plans to step down as CEO will stay on as a senior advisor for Cirrus, which has been one of the most successful aircraft manufacturing startups in the past 35 years.

“Cirrus Aircraft has a remarkably bright future ahead,” Klapmeier said. “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 team on reinventing the future of personal transportation.” In announcing his plans to step away from CEO duties, Klapmeier said the move would free him to focus on strategic opportunities.

Nielsen’s experience comes primarily from outside the aviation industry, but he brings a deep background of senior leadership at major companies. He most recently was executive v-p of North American sales for James Hardie, a leading industrial building materials company. He also was v-p of global sales operations for Tesla and spent 17 years with electronics maker Bang & Olufsen, where he rose to the role of president of Bang & Olufsen North and South America.

“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,” Nielsen said. “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.”