Veteran executive Michael Zea has joined Point72 Asset Management Point72, as its Chief of Strategy. Zea will take up his new position on 4 May.
As the Chief of Strategy, Zea will lead Point72’s exploration of new investment areas for deploying the Stamford-based family office’s surplus capital. Zea and his team will also examine the Firm’s operations and processes and recommend ways for it to operate more thoughtfully and efficiently.
“Michael honed his strategic thinking and rigorous analytic approach at McKinsey,” says Point72 president Doug Haynes. “At Aimia, he led part of a premier data-and intelligence-based firm. These skills and creative mindset make him an ideal strategic thought partner for our team.”
Zea was previously an Executive Vice President at Aimia Inc. (Aimia), a data-driven marketing and loyalty analytics company, after serving as President and CEO of its U.S. Region. While president of the U.S. Region, Zea led a turnaround of the company’s U.S. business, emphasizing growth initiatives, capability building, cost restructuring, and repositioning. Zea was also a member of Aimia’s executive committee.
Before he joined Aimia, Zea was a partner at McKinsey & Company, where he began the firm’s hotel practice and led the global loyalty marketing practice. Earlier in his career, Zea enjoyed more than a decade of success with Oliver Wyman (Wyman). Zea joined Wyman as the founding associate of the Chicago office and was one of three people selected to launch its aviation practice. In addition, he managed Wyman’s New York office from 2003 to 2005. Earlier in his career, Michael worked in sales, pricing, and distribution at major airlines, including United Airlines and American Airlines.
Zea holds an MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University and a BS in Aviation Technology from Purdue University. He is a Trustee of the Nature Conservancy of Connecticut and a member of the Board of Alexandra's Playground, a non-profit focused on safe and healthy play for children.
