American Motorcycle Dealer AMD 246 January 2020 | Page 17

Polaris Announces Changes
to Senior Leadership Team
Polaris has announced that current
President of Motorcycles, Steven
Menneto, has been named President of
Off Road, with Michael Dougherty,
current President of International,
adding the role of President of
Motorcycles in addition to his present
duties.
Chris Musso, the current President of
Off Road, has been named to a new role
as Senior Vice President of
Electrification Strategy. All three leaders
will continue to report to Polaris
Chairman and CEO Scott Wine.
"Sometimes to think outside you must
Steve Menneto
Michael Dougherty
look inwards. Winning the competitive
battle requires us to allocate and utilize
our resources optimally, and that begins
with placing our most seasoned and
proven executives in roles where they
can assume broader responsibilities
and deliver greater impact," said Wine.
"These leadership changes leverage
existing talent, and add vital capability,
as we further our efforts to be a
customer-centric, highly efficient
growth company."
As President of Off Road, Menneto will
be responsible for Polaris' off-road
vehicle (ORV) and snow business
segments.
During his four years as President of
Motorcycles, Menneto successfully
developed and cultivated a customer-
first approach across the business. As
the result of his leadership, Indian
Motorcycle has been the fastest
growing motorcycle brand in the
industry, gaining market share every
year and leading the industry in owner
satisfaction ratings. Menneto joined
Polaris in 1997, following two years as
a Polaris dealer. During his tenure at
Polaris, Menneto has served in various
leadership roles including Vice
President of Motorcycles and Director
of ORV Sales.
Speaking to Michael Dougherty's new
role, Wine said: "Throughout his two
decades with the company, Mike has
played a significant role in fostering our
powersports leadership on the global
stage. He is a talented leader who has
demonstrated an ability to conquer the
multifaceted challenges commensurate
with developing new markets and
driving profitable growth over the long-
term.
"With Indian Motorcycle, our largest
brand outside of North America, Mike's
Chris Musso
rich international experience will prove
invaluable to a business that is
expecting continued growth from
international consumers."
Scott Wine has been deliberately
cautious in electrification terms, despite
the acquisition of Brammo at an early
stage in the development of the EV
market. The appointment of Chris
Musso to the new post of VP of
Electrification Strategy is being seen as
a statement of intent. At present Polaris'
current electric vehicle product
offerings include GEM, Goupil and the
RANGER EV. Musso joined Polaris in
2017 as President of Off Road.