"The major leverage for revenue optimization is being able to properly forecast per length of stay and being able, based on those forecasts, to assess which length of stay to favor at which moment."

Career Summary of Xavier Zakoian

Xavier Zakoian, founder and CEO of Kowee has dedicated over 30 years to revenue management across diverse industries. He began his career at Air France Cargo, pioneering revenue management for cargo by adapting airline techniques to freight. He then moved into the media sector, developing revenue optimization tools for advertising sales houses and later implementing these strategies at NRJ, a major French media company.

In 2013, Xavier founded Kowee, focusing on revenue management for the parking industry, especially at airports. His achievements include introducing dynamic pricing and forecasting models tailored to the unique challenges of parking, such as balancing short- and long-stay demand and integrating real-time data. Xavier’s journey highlights the importance of top management support, adapting KPIs, and the evolving role of AI in revenue management.

Chapter

00:00:00 Introduction and background of Xavier Zakoian

00:06:30 Early career at Air France Cargo and revenue management beginnings
00:16:00 Transition to media industry and advertising revenue management
00:27:00 Challenges of implementing RM in B2B and importance of top management
00:36:00 Moving to Kowee: founding story and inspiration
00:43:00 Revenue management principles applied to parking sector
00:54:00 Segmentation and dynamic pricing in airport parking
01:07:00 Competition, demand patterns, and pre-booking vs. drive-ups
01:19:00 Real-time forecasting, AI, and technical challenges in parking RM
01:32:00 Lessons learned, failures, and advice for future revenue managers

References discussed

• Benoît Retembourg (LinkedIn)

• Abraham Toledano (in memoriam

• IDEAS Revenue Solutions (Parking RM competitor)

• Lyon Airport (first Kowee consulting client)

• Mathieu Stricker (Kowee co-founder, LinkedIn)

• Ernesti (company founded by Xavier’s children)

Music references

• Mark Knopfler / Dire Straits – "Sultans of Swing" YouTube

• Chrissie Hynde – "I Shall Be Released" YouTube

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