January 13, 2019
With the new year 2019 in full swing, what a fitting time to reflect on and acknowledge all the hard work and effort of our exceptional team over the past year. We are incredibly grateful to the Zeevo team for continuously pursuing excellence, striving for success, and undoubtedly conveying our company’s passion for assisting our clients across many industries to deliver comprehensive solutions to improve the effectiveness and success of their processes, policies, teams, and technology.
Here are some of Zeevo’s 2018 highlights:
JANUARY
Maintaining strong presence at Dublin’s Growth Frontiers and Airfinance Global conferences
It has become our tradition to attend the Growth Frontiers and Airfinance Global conferences, which take place every January in Dublin, Ireland. While working closely with both Airline Economics and Airfinance Journal, in 2018 Zeevo joined the ranks of sponsors at both events, with our company’s Zeevo logo front and center on stage at both events.
Our growing team is thrilled to be an active participant in these leading industry events to apprise lessors of next-gen data security and process improvement solutions. Airlines, lessors, financiers, law firms, manufacturers, investors, MROs, professional services organizations, and associations alike cross paths, network and share the same passion for aviation that Zeevo unquestionably holds.
Principals Joey Johnsen and John McCartney, along with Director of Business Development and Technical Operations Angela Geremia and Senior Manager Robert McCartney held a strong presence at both events reconnecting with clients and colleagues, as well as meeting new industry contacts to explore ways in which Zeevo solutions can effectively address their business, finance, and information technology needs in all aspects of aircraft leasing.
The Airfinance Global daily conference newspaper also featured a Zeevo editorial on how lessors can safeguard their operations from data breaches. The article was well received among the industry and gained the attention of many potential clients.
Team voice:
“Over the past year working at Zeevo my business intelligence (BI) acumen and abilities grew substantially. It was especially fulfilling to bring BI reporting to the aviation industry – combining two of my favorite interests. Additionally, bringing on interns at Zeevo through our internship development program was an exciting opportunity to impart my aviation knowledge and experience on the new talent.”
Zeevo celebrates a third successful year in operation, serving a number of key industries including aviation
The founding trio of former ILFC executives launched Zeevo Group in January 2016 after identifying a niche for its unique suite of services to serve numerous industries – the overwhelming gap between business needs and technology capabilities.
With nearly two decades of combined experience at globally recognized lessors and a decade of experience as senior management at a “Big Four” consulting firm, the Zeevo founders—Joey Johnsen, John McCartney, and Karen Curtis—boast the industry’s deepest experience and unmatched aptitude to collaborate with companies in optimizing their systems and reporting, business processes, enterprise integrations, as well as implementations and project management, and forecasting solutions.
Coupled with the buildout of the global Zeevo team over the past three years, we have turned Zeevo into a true powerhouse, armed with a roster of more than 30+professionals with backgrounds spanning Contracts, Finance and Treasury, Marketing and Portfolio, Forecasting, Technical, Materiel Management, Training, and Audit.
Zeevo extends reach into training
In January, we made inroads into the significant field of continued professional education, enlisting the support of Marina Gibbons who has more than two decades of experience in corporate training, curriculum development, public accounting, and financial auditing, to name just a few. Prior to independently consulting, Marina held positions at marquis companies, such as Deloitte & Touche, Calpine Corporation, Ernst & Young, and ADP. She brings an abundance of knowledge to Zeevo that continues to aid our clients in training across all industries and levels. Marina also is strengthening our client efficiency, team building skills, and employee retainment and on-boarding efforts.
FEBRUARY
Zeevo adds an aviation veteran as senior advisor
In February, we excitedly welcomed Dean Stephenson to our board of advisors, continuing our push to deliver the industry’s best-in-class solutions to meet the evolving needs of aircraft leasing companies worldwide. During more than a decade spent with a leading global lessor, Dublin-based AerCap, Dean undertook the implementation of numerous performance-boosting initiatives that delivered financial and operational advantages from streamlined operations; in particular, the synergies achieved through combined operations post AerCap’s acquisition of industry pioneer International Lease Finance Corporation.
MARCH
Continuing focus on aviation at ISTAT Americas
In March, we joined colleagues and other industry leaders for the ISTAT Americas conference in San Diego, California – while increasing awareness of Zeevo and building our eminence. The Zeevo team met with 20+ companies over the three-day event, networking and discussing pain points across the industry, spanning technology needs, organizational structure enhancements, and business process improvements.
Our company also was featured in ISTAT’s promotional video for the ISTAT Foundation Internship Program (pictured above).
In conjunction with ISTAT Americas, Jetrader, ISTAT’s flagship publication, featured highlights from Josh’s ISTAT Foundation Internship Program experience with Zeevo
Zeevo Principal and Founder, and aircraft leasing veteran, Joey Johnsen shared her experience of working with an intern hire and her impressions of the ISTAT Foundation Internship Program. She discussed how we took advantage of the ISTAT Foundation Internship Program by hiring Joshua Trygg full-time.
“At Zeevo, we believe technology, IT resources, and a passion for aviation are the keys to success in the leasing business,” commented Zeevo Principal and Founder Joey Johnsen. “Finding the right talent that combines these areas is a big challenge. When we first learned about the ISTAT Foundation Internship Program, it looked like a great opportunity for a relatively new company — and it has proven to be just that.” Josh was Zeevo’s first summer intern in 2017 and he has proved to be a great asset in strengthening our technology team.
Zeevo is invited to speak at the West Coast Lessor Meeting in Newport Beach
Zeevo had the opportunity to attend and speak about business process automation at the West Coast Lessor Meeting, a gathering of accounting and tax professionals from several prestigious U.S.-based lessors.
Team voice:
“This past year has been an exciting whirlwind that has made me a better problem solver and strengthened my role in business development, allowing me to better serve a variety of clients. Zeevo has opened doors for me to new industries while still empowering me to grow in the aviation sector. My work in developing an internship program helped me gain further insight from fresh perspectives and our work with charitable organizations rounded out a truly fulfilling year.”
Zeevo continues to expand its professional services and consulting expertise
Edward Galloway, MBA, PMP, joined our constantly growing team, adding his extensive professional project management and audit background to our spectrum of expertise. Prior to Zeevo, Edward held positions at leading companies, such as Starbucks and Deloitte & Touche. Edward is a certified PMP and holds an M.B.A. in Finance from the University of Washington. He also attended the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, where he completed his undergraduate studies.
APRIL
Zeevo is recognized by CIOReview as one of the most promising enterprise architecture companies
Never enough accolades—well this time around we truly pulled it off—being recognized by a prestigious CIOReview as one of the leading consulting firms in the burgeoning enterprise architecture field.
The intention behind the genesis of enterprise architecture (EA) is to curtail system complexity and improve business alignment; sounds cliché, but it’s true. Today, with the increased demand for standardized IT environments and adaptability, EA has evolved from being a localized process implementation to a global enterprise-level initiative.
Zeevo Principal and Founder Joey Johnsen commented: “In an ‘agile’ world, where requirements and solutions continue to evolve through collaboration, so must the world of EA.”
To keep apace with the fast-moving business environments, organizations must standardize and rationalize their ability to adapt technologies to the changing business discipline, with EA as a channel.
“This is precisely how Zeevo helps enterprises, providing an advanced EA framework, which is adaptable and incorporates business and technical structures, processes, and perspectives, to help organizations achieve their strategic goals through optimized performance,” added Johnsen.
Zeevo gets a spot in the Airfinance Journal’s Guide to Financing and Investing in Engines 2018
Lessors are progressively utilizing asset information-related enabling technologies to more effectively track engine status, location and future expectations, differentiating themselves from the competition, and maximizing maintenance revenue. Engines constitute the chief drivers of lessors’ maintenance cash flows. Engine performance restorations (PRs) tend to cost more than $2 million for narrowbody and $6 million for widebody aircraft, with life-limited parts (LLPs) adding another $3 million to $6 million to a lessor’s cost base. Having up-to-date information and concrete expectations for engines is imperative for lessors to sustain a formidable competitive advantage.
Zeevo Principal and Founder Joey Johnsen explained that “lessors can use this knowledge to reduce exposure, minimize top-up liabilities and maximize maintenance revenue – it all comes down to determining information important to your company’s financials and deploying the right tools and processes to derive major bottom-line impact.”
Zeevo deploys expertise on the implementations of cloud-based financial system and audit management software
Making inroads into new service areas, we announced recent client engagements which involved two notable assignments with new global clients, namely: program management for an implementation of a cloud-based financial system for a technology company; and internal audit support and project management for an implementation of an audit management software package for a real estate investment trust.
Facing a rapidly changing market and high-growth stakes, the client organizations elected to select Zeevo to assist because of the team’s best suited experience and skillset to provide the necessary insights to make real-time, data-driven decisions that will deliver concrete operational improvements.
The cloud-based financial system implementation was destined to provide agility to scale and build the client’s accounting organization to support the business and provide real-time visibility into analysis and insights required to meet the expanding customer and market demands. The accounting and operational audit projects were focused on managing the client’s internal audits, implementing the new software, and creating and updating the related operating procedures and training.
Zeevo leads a multinational implementation of an accounting system
A leading technology company with global internet operations selected the Zeevo team to serve as Program Leader for a multinational implementation of an accounting system designed to streamline the organization’s operations. The Zeevo team collaborated with cross-functional teams representing Finance, IT, and Operations to deliver program and project management support, as well as share expertise in deploying large enterprise-wide resource systems. Our work successfully progressed the implementation of a high-performance, unified system that is now supporting our client’s finance transformation and providing the broader business with insights to make real-time, data-driven decisions.
“With expertise and experience that spans every facet of finance and information technology, the Zeevo team brings to the table unmatched capabilities in redesigning strategy, processes, and organization, as well as aligning supporting technology and communications, in ways that deliver immediate and lasting value.”
– A senior executive with 30 years of financial experience in the technology industry
MAY
Zeevo turns business intelligence into aircraft lessors’ secret weapon
To make a splash at the 38th Annual North America Airfinance Conference in May, we shared with media the details on our firm’s advanced business intelligence and data analytics solutions with the aviation finance community.
We also proudly partnered with Airfinance Journal, which hosted speakers from across the aviation industry – from airlines to lessors, financiers to professional service providers.
Zeevo Principal and Founder Joey Johnsen contended: “It’s about time lessors shunned ubiquitous spreadsheets and embraced advanced business intelligence and analytics tools” that enable rapid decision-making and embolden competitive advantage.
Today, aircraft leasing companies are collecting vast volumes of data, yet they fail notoriously to reap the full benefits of their potential value, missing out on the opportunities to maximize revenue, minimize costs, and improve customer understanding and satisfaction.
Zeevo increases visibility for its process improvement services at the Airfinance North America conference in Miami
In May, Zeevo joined colleagues and other industry leaders for the Airfinance North America conference in Miami, Florida – while increasing awareness of Zeevo and spreading the word about our company and services. The conference served as an opportune and invaluable time to network and discuss pain points across the industry spanning from technology needs to organizational structure and business processes. A Zeevo ad was featured in the Airfinance Journal Global Awards Brochure, recognizing the importance of continuous improvement in every aspect of operations.
JUNE
Zeevo continues to educate your professionals through the ISTAT Summer Internship Program
Continuing on in our second year as ISTAT members and serving on the ISTAT Internship Committee, Zeevo launched its second Summer Internship Program, offering various positions to aviation and technology focused students.
Scott Kramer and Max He were brought on in the early summer of 2018 as Business Development and Technology Consultant interns. Scott and Max’s time on the team was immensely beneficial to their career development and Zeevo’s expanding roster.
Team voice:
“This past year has been filled with many firsts in my career, and thanks to this dynamic group they have all been successful. In the past year I have gained a great deal of experience working with multiple aircraft leasing companies with their growth and optimization efforts. With Zeevo I’ve had the opportunity to work directly with high level executives within the aviation industry, as well as industries that are new and excited to me including, finance and consumer products. Zeevo has created a work environment that focuses on professional development from our counselor/counselee program to everyday positive reinforcement and encouragement which has only enhanced my business acumen to having the honor of organizing a toy drive for the Children’s Hospital of Orange County and participate in a middle school career day in South Los Angeles.”
JULY
Zeevo attends the first-ever Microsoft Business Application Summit
In July, Zeevo, represented by Karen Curtis, joined the inaugural Microsoft Business Application Summit in Seattle to connect, share, and learn with the engineering teams that build Dynamics 365, Power BI, PowerApps, and Microsoft Flow, and be the first to know where we’re going and what’s coming next across the Business Applications landscape.
Zeevo is featured in Airfinance Journal discussing business intelligence – a game changer for aircraft leasing
In July, Zeevo explored how data-driven business and technology solutions are expected to impact and alter the competitive business landscape in the aircraft leasing industry in the near future. Lessors are collecting a wealth of data nowadays. However, a myriad of tools and procedures hinder effective application of their data. Continued reliance on spreadsheets to manage their expanding data inhibits them from fully realizing its potential value – missing out on the opportunities to maximize revenue, minimize costs, and improve customer understanding and satisfaction. The rise of business intelligence (BI) solutions is changing the game. With BI, lessors are better positioned to analyses, employ and visualize their data in new ways, enabling them to retire outmoded spreadsheets and their inherent risks.
AUGUST
Who said we can’t pull a plane together?
In August, a team of heartworthy Zeevo-ites, Mireya Ramirez, Edward Galloway, MBA, PMP, and Karen Curtis, along with our colleagues from Pillsbury Law, joined forces during the 2018 Plane Pull at Long Beach Airport in support of the Special Olympics Southern California. Their collective strength, stamina, and heart were put to a real test when pulling a FedEx airplane across the 12 foot distance.
Through this great feat, we proudly supported individuals with intellectual disabilities who train and compete in life-changing sports programs.
Mastering contract and asset management system optimization projects
2018 was a successful year of Leasepoint and CMS optimization projects… from data integrity to custom reporting and business intelligence to custom software add-ons to take data to the next level. We made great strides supporting our clients in enhancing and optimizing their systems, data, and processes.
OCTOBER
Zeevo is featured in Airfinance Journal’s Annual Editorial, exploring the strategic value of IT in M&As: delivering finance integration success through flawless execution
Many mergers and acquisitions fail to produce the desired outcome, because they stagger on the integration of operations and technology. A well-planned strategy for IT integration, in combination with other key aspects of the M&A process, ensure a successful combination of target companies.
Zeevo gives back by partnering with Kiva, a non-profit organization who’s mission is to work to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty
Zeevo provided the means for each member of the Zeevo team to invest in the dream of someone around the world, an opportunity to change a life, through Kiva.org.
Zeevo receives approval from NASBA to grant CPE credits for Group Live training offerings
We were thrilled to announce that we have been approved by NASBA (National Association of State Boards of Accountancy) to offer CPE (Continuing Professional Education) for Group Live training offerings.
“We can now provide continuing education credits for our in-person, Group Live training programs,” said Zeevo Learning and Development Senior Manager Marina Gibbons. “Being approved as a nationally registered sponsor is a huge achievement. Zeevo values continuing education for our employees as we view that capability both promotes the accounting profession and provides meaningful and relevant education to our workforce. Our ability now to offer and develop similar high-quality, customized training to our clients – that can meet stringent regulatory guidelines – is a value-add service that we are pleased to provide.”
NOVEMBER
Zeevo takes on a new challenge to assist a global non-profit with finance transformation
The Zeevo team took a new challenge by conducting a first-ever, full-fledged engagement with a leading, global non-profit, focused on health care and dedicated to saving lives. Working closely with our client’s Finance executives, our team is evaluating the organization’s current-state finance operating model to develop an actionable implementation roadmap for simplified financial reporting, enhanced controls, and a reduced monthly close cycle.
“We’re entering a new era of finance transformation, and forward-thinking businesses and non-profits alike are developing proactive strategies to focus on how to move faster, and be more responsive and transparent. The Zeevo team deployed its combined expertise to not only tackle this non-profit’s strategy but also reinvent the Finance function’s core. Leading the transformation in line with their business plan around three pillars: Close Process Transformation, Process Automation Transformation, and Integrity and Risk Transformation, we are maximizing the reduction in transactional processing in accounting, and instilling the right combination of people, process, and technology,” said Zeevo Controller Debbie Anderson.
Zeevo is featured in Airfinance Journal discussing Blockchain: the next big thing for aircraft lessors and lessees
In November, Zeevo explored blockchain being the next big corner for aircraft lessors and lessees to turn. In an article published during the 2018 Asia Pacific Airfinance conference in Hong Kong, we discussed how the aircraft leasing industry is slowly moving towards blockchain technology in nearly every aspect of its operations.
Honoring the courage and sacrifice of our veterans
In November, our teammate, Edward Galloway, MBA, PMP, attended the University of Washington’s Veterans Ceremony, on behalf of our entire Zeevo team and as a board member of Run To Honor to acknowledge the courage and sacrifice of our veterans. We joined our hands with Edward as well as alumni, colleagues, classmates, friends, and neighbors in recognizing those who have served, both in our community and across our nation.
Undoubtedly everyone has people in their lives who are deserving of honor on this special day. In a flashback of the past, we decided to honor one of our team members, Edward Galloway, MBA, PMP, who served in the US Navy after graduating from the United States Naval Academy in 1995 and was stationed in Yokosuka, Japan, on CG-52 USS Bunker Hill and FFG-48 USS Vandegrift.
Zeevo goes to Vegas: the AICPA Controllers conference
In November, our teammate and fearless controller Debbie Anderson joined industry peers in Las Vegas for the 2018 AICPA Controllers Conference. This great opportunity provided Zeevo with insights into latest advancements and practices in finance transformation that are disrupting today’s business and shaping the accounting profession.
Today’s controllers go well beyond handling financial statements, internal controls, and general accounting to create value and drive the financial performance of an organization. Their responsibilities have grown over the years to include risk management, regulatory and tax compliance, IT security, fraud monitoring, talent management, as well as staying abreast of advancements in technology. Zeevo is ready to assist our clients in taking their Controller role to the next level with handling all responsibilities and apply best practices to ascertain your finance organization’s success.
DECEMBER
Paul McDowell, an experienced treasury executive, joins Zeevo’s Treasury advisory board
Paul McDowell, currently Vice President & Treasurer of Scottsdale-based GoDaddy, partnered with the Zeevo leadership team to innovate the suite of tools and services to meet the evolving needs of the firm’s clients, who are seeking to strengthen the operational and financial performance of their businesses.
“We are thrilled to welcome Paul to Zeevo and to tap his expertise to streamline treasury and finance operations for our clients across many industries,” said Zeevo Principal and Founder Joey Johnsen. “His extensive experience in financial operations and as a public company treasurer, combined with his track record working for leading global companies, will further strengthen our team as we continue to drive Zeevo’s value proposition to offer the best-in-class solutions for finance transformation and treasury strategy that create significant value for shareholders.”
Advancing Zeevo’s Corporate Social Responsibility strategy
As par of our corporate social responsibility strategy, we undertook a pro-bono project to develop a state-of-the-art web presence for a global non-profit dedicated to advancing women. The Zeevo team is currently collaborating with client sponsors and stakeholders to develop an online presence strategy, as well as design, develop, and launch a public facing website for the organization built with the web’s latest technologies and best practices. The new website will permit the organization to increase its publicity and visibility campaigns, as well as expand and cultivate its growing membership and sponsor base.
Angela Geremia, Zeevo Director of Business Development, said: “A well positioned website is the face of any organization—what people see online should reflect who you are as an organization. During this project, we are taking special care to make sure that everything on our non-profit partner’s website speaks to their mission and remarkable cause.”
Zeevo donates toys to Orange Country Hospital’s kids
Zeevo and friends took one of our greatest assets, teamwork, to make our holiday toy drive initiative a reality by making a generous toy donation to the Orange County children’s hospital. As part of the initiative we took into consideration that we were donating to a hospital therefore choosing toys such as board games and play-doh keeping in mind possible post-op patients or children with limited mobility.
“This is not the first time the Zeevo team has come together to gather toys for kids because the holiday season is a time of peace, sharing, and giving. Giving to children brings cheer to their heart while also instilling kindness to be passed on from generation to generation,” noted Mireya Ramirez.
Zeevo the trendsetter: Demonstrating our technology prowess and skilled communications, we launch a new state-of-the-art, user-centered website loaded with modern options
In December, we celebrated the holidays with a soft launch of our new website, providing streamlined pathways to discover new engaging content, Zeevo’s comprehensive suite of services, and some eye-popping interactive gimmicks featuring full-blown video spotlights on the homepage.
Zeevo Principal and Founder Joey Johnsen explained: “This new website is part of our core strategy to increase the visibility of Zeevo’s comprehensive services and provide an exceptional visitor experience.”
Vested in its responsive, stark colored design and mobile-driven content layout, the new website has a clean modern look, increased speed and reliability, and improved navigation via an easy-to-follow menu structure and fast access to related solutions. Our clients can now easily discover our unique spectrum of services tailored to their distinct needs.
“By utilizing the very latest content management system to drive the website, we will continue to evolve and enhance the design, functionality and user interface of the new site to best serve our customers’ needs,” added Johnsen.
To close the year out with a bang we hosted our 3rd annual Zeevo company holiday party on a boat in Marina Del Rey, CA to celebrate the unity of our team, appreciation for each other and the team’s hard work this year.
We look forward to building and strengthening our client relationships and endeavoring into new business ventures in 2019, as we have in the past so many years! Bring on 2019!
WHAT’S NEXT IN 2019?
We are off to Dublin for the Airline Economics Growth Frontiers and Airfinance Global conferences
Are you attending the Airline Economics Growth Frontiers and Airfinance Global conferences? If so, come say hello. We’d love to chat with you about all things aviation!
About Zeevo Group LLC:
Zeevo Group LLC (“Zeevo”) provides business, finance and information technology consulting services and products to a broad range of clients representing such key industries as aircraft leasing, technology and consumer products. zeevogroup.com
Media Contact:
Direct: +1 760 933 8607
contactus@zeevogroup.com