zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Culture
/
Harley-Davidson's CEO Has It All To Do
Harley-Davidson's CEO Has It All To Do-November 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:12:41

Image for article titled Harley-Davidson's CEO Has It All To Do

After Harley-Davidson’s former CEO Matt Levatich was , Harley’s chairman Jochen Zeitz was appointed Acting CEO, while the company said it would name a permanent successor. Today, Harley that Zeitz, in fact, is its permanent choice for CEO.

Zeitz’s most relevant experience his 18-year term running Puma, the German shoe and sportswear company, where he is credited with turning around a failing company on the verge of bankruptcy. He’ll have to perform a similar trick at Harley, though the heavy motorcycle business is a little less robust than shoes and sportswear. (Harley, of course, also has its own line of branded apparel.)

Zeitz at least sounds confident.

Over the next few months, we will rewire the business and define a new 5-year strategic plan later this year. I will then oversee the implementation of these changes and reignite Harley-Davidson as one of the most revered and iconic brands in the world.

Zeitz says that he’ll also reorganize things in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

In alignment with the board, my decision to become the President and CEO of Harley-Davidson reflects my deep passion and commitment to this company. During this extraordinary time of crisis my first priority is the well-being of our H-D community as I execute our COVID-19 response plan efforts to stabilize the business, resume operations and recover. I am also leading a necessary and comprehensive overhaul of the company structure, operating model, and strategy as we adjust to the new post COVID-19 realities.

Zeitz’s that has strategy would be based around less of a focus on foreign markets, and a bigger emphasis on selling motorcycles in the U.S. That’s a pretty stark departure from that of Levatich, who for Harley to sell half of its volume overseas, up from about 40 percent.

The end result of Zeitz’s strategy in the near-term will probably be quite simply a leaner company, since heavy motorcycles sales have been trending down for a longtime as boomers grow smaller in number. For the long-term, Zeitz is probably betting pretty big on Harley’s electric motorcycles—Reuters he was a “force” behind LiveWire—though that market still largely remains more theoretical than anything else.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Culture
Watch ABS Fail When MotorWeek Tests A 1997 Chevy S-10
Watch ABS Fail When MotorWeek Tests A 1997 Chevy S-10
MotorWeek’s is some of the on the internet. The long-running automotive news magazine has a treasure trove of tests after being on the air for over 40 years. Where else can you find detailed instrumented testing of long-forgotten cars like the or a ? MotorWeek’s recent Retro Review upload is...
Nov 11, 2025
I Entered My Lifted Miata In A Real Off-Road Race, Here's What Happened
I Entered My Lifted Miata In A Real Off-Road Race, Here's What Happened
I have two automotive loves: The first is the Miata, the second is off-road racing. For a while I raced air-cooled Volkswagens in the deserts of California and Nevada and I was lucky enough to co-drive in a class 11 stock bug in the Baja 1000 a few years...
Nov 11, 2025
2024 Kia EV9: What Do You Want To Know?
2024 Kia EV9: What Do You Want To Know?
At long last, we are about to get behind the wheel of for the first time. Sure, , and sure, , and sure , but hey — what can you do? Anyway, before we get behind the wheel of this three-row electric beast, we want to know what you...
Nov 11, 2025
Toyota Is Moving A Prewar 700-Ton Press Machine Halfway Around The World
Toyota Is Moving A Prewar 700-Ton Press Machine Halfway Around The World
closed its São Bernardo Plant in November 2023, marking the end of its first overseas production facility. The closure caps off a period of continuous car production in São Paolo, , lasting over 60 years. The plant was home to a Komatsu 700-ton press that predates itself. And now...
Nov 11, 2025
I Can't Get Enough Of This YouTuber Who Builds Tiny, Fully Functional Scale-Model Cars
I Can't Get Enough Of This YouTuber Who Builds Tiny, Fully Functional Scale-Model Cars
I love tiny, of . I have a that is roughly half the size of a normal cat, and she’s perfect. I own a 2013 , which is like the miniature version of a normal-sized vehicle (at least here in Texas) — but beyond that, I also own a Hot...
Nov 11, 2025
Subaru Had It Right All Along
Subaru Had It Right All Along
When first came to the United States, it sold small funky cars that were decidedly un-American. As the company grew its own identity and became more established in the U.S., it became the first automaker to offer an all-wheel-drive passenger car in 1975. Subaru was also an early-adopter of...
Nov 11, 2025
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved