An organization with as a lot legacy as Harley-Davidson must be a cool place to work. You’ve got obtained over 100 years of lineage, tradition, type, and substance propelling you ahead in a manner that few different corporations do. And there is a motive why so most of the Motor Co’s staff have Harley-Davidson crest tattoos: it is as a result of they honestly love the model.
However that very same historical past can imply numerous baggage. It might imply headwinds when change is critical. And it may possibly imply that it is arduous to vary course of an organization as massive as Harley when issues aren’t going your manner, or when international locations world wide get into trade war pissing matches. After which there’s the web, the place idiotic arguments can crater gross sales or the inventory market regardless of not being grounded in any kind of fact.
The larger you might be, the tougher you fall.
Main an organization like Harley-Davidson must be a blended bag, then. The highs are excessive, however the lows are within the press all over the place and all being squarely blamed in your route. That is doubtless why Jochen Zeitz, the corporate’s embattled CEO, has introduced that he’ll be retiring from the place later this yr. A transfer that is by no means stunning when you’ve been listening to the model during the last yr or so.
Zeitz had been on Harley-Davidson’s board for the reason that late aughts and took over the model as CEO in 2020—an ideal time if there ever was one…
He had beforehand labored at Puma, the shoe and attire firm, and was referred to as a “flip round” govt, i.e. discovering methods for struggling corporations to proper their ships. And, certainly, numerous people believed that Zeitz would be capable to flip Harley’s struggling financial outlook round. Within the first few months on the job, Zeitz introduced a five-year plan he dubbed “Hardwire” to assist stabilize the corporate and return it to its glory. A lot of it was centered round increasing into new international markets and hoping the model’s new EV firm LiveWire would be capable to bridge the hole between the motorcycling generations.
The previous of the 2 labored, seeing sales skyrocket of the model’s cheap small-displacement bikes it developed in partnership with Hero, whereas the latter looks like an albatross around Harley’s neck.
Headwinds continued, each due to the pandemic—when it comes to manufacturing bikes and components provides—in addition to commerce wars that prompted excessive tariffs to be levied on the Motor Co’s abroad choices. Likewise, the financial outlooks on many People took a downturn after pandemic spending dried up. Nobody might afford a $30,000 toy. And Harley’s reticence in introducing its cheaper and smaller Hero bikes right here within the States furthered the corporate’s flagging gross sales.
Zeitz additionally took the brunt of positively bullshit claims of the Motor Co. being “woke,” when some minor-league web rage-baiter labeled them as such for gasp having a DEI coverage. For anybody trying on the firm in any possible way, you could possibly see that it was a lie and strictly a manner of elevating mentioned particular person’s stature in that significantly annoying neighborhood. If something, Harley needed to expand into new markets and cater extra towards new riders than not. However the fake controversy prompted sufficient of a headache that the inventory value took a tumble, in addition to gross sales.
Quick ahead just a few months, a brand new president’s in workplace, and a second term trade war is about to utterly hammer American merchandise abroad, with Harley-Davidson being a precept goal. Again. Truthfully, it is no surprise why Zeitz is peacing out proper now.
In line with the model, “The Board of Administrators of Harley-Davidson, Inc. immediately confirmed that it’s engaged in an on-going CEO search course of, as a part of the Board’s succession planning duties. The search course of was initiated in This fall 2024 with the retention of a number one govt search agency after Jochen Zeitz, the present CEO, expressed his curiosity in retiring from the Firm in 2025 after 5 years within the CEO place, and topic to the appointment of an acceptable successor.”
As for who enters the chat, that is clearly but to be decided. I might nominate myself, as I am keen to get extra tattoos and have a really strategic imaginative and prescient of what the corporate might do: we’re stuffing that 131cu motor into a LiveWire chassis, child! However whoever takes over must face a number of challenges, each when it comes to the model’s lineup, its picture, and discovering new butts for its seats. All 700 options.
I am undecided I might truly need the job, however whoever it will be, they’ve numerous historical past they’ll use as motivation.
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