NOW
IN OUR
™
28 EA t R h
Y
T H E L E A D I N G B U S I N E S S M A G A Z I N E F O R T H E I N T E R N AT I O N A L C U S T O M M O T O R C Y C L E A N D PA RT S I N D U S T RY
Harley CEO Matt Levatich
"Steps Down"; Jochen Zeitz
Acting CEO and President
After five years at the helm, H-D,
Inc. announced that Matt
Levatich stepped down as
President and CEO (and as a
member of the Board of
Directors) effective 28 February.
The Board of Directors has appointed
current Board member Jochen Zeitz as
Acting President and CEO. A
committee of the Board will be formed,
and the company will utilize an
external search firm to undertake a
search for a new CEO, and a further
announcement will be made at a later
date. Levatich will assist with the
transition through the end of March.
As part of this leadership change,
Jochen Zeitz has also been named
Chairman of the Board and will remain
Chairman once a new CEO is
appointed. Current Chairman of the
Board, Michael Cave, is now Presiding
Director.
Zeitz said: "The Board and Matt
mutually agreed that now is the time
for new leadership at Harley-Davidson.
Matt was instrumental in defining the
'More Roads to Harley-Davidson'
accelerated plan for growth, and we
will look to new leadership to recharge
our business. On behalf of the Board, I
would like to thank Matt for his 26
years of service to Harley-Davidson. He
has worked tirelessly to navigate the
company through a period of
significant industry change while
ensuring the preservation of one of the
most iconic brands in the world."
"The Harley-Davidson Board and
leadership team will continue to work
closely together as we search for a new
CEO. We have confidence that our
combined leadership experience and
deep understanding of Harley-
Davidson will ensure an effective
transition. As a passionate Board
Member of Harley-Davidson, I look
forward to continuing to work with my
colleagues and other Harley-Davidson
stakeholders to advance and deliver
the company's strategy and execution
during this important time," Zeitz
continued.
Levatich said: "I am very fortunate to
have spent many years with a company
as revered as Harley-Davidson. The grit
and determination of the employees
and dealers and their passion for
bringing our brand of freedom to
people around the world has always
been inspiring. I am proud of what we
have achieved during my time as CEO,
in one of the most challenging periods
in our history, and I am confident that
the progress we have made on the
More Roads plan will position Harley-
Continues on page 10 >>>
Getting Fatter - it has been
30 years since Harley-
Davidson unveiled the Fat
Boy and the popular Softail
has been a Harley cruiser
staple ever since - details on
page 12 …
MAR 2020
ISSUE #248
TUCKER SHOW
KING OF THE
BAGGERS