Jochen Zeitz has called time on his career as Harley-Davidson CEO after five years at the helm.
German Zeitz, who joined Harley-Davidson as a board member in 2007, previously headed sporting brand Puma and was moved into the H-D top job in 2020 as a replacement for Matthew Levatich.
Zeitz’s tenure at The Motor Company saw him instigate the “Rewire” plan, one that was the opposite of Levatich’s “More Roads” imitative that would see the brand expand into new market segments. “Rewire” meant potentially lucrative projects like the much-lauded Harley-Davidson Bronx nakedbike remained stillborn.
“Rewire” was later replaced with “Hardwire”, a five-year plan in which the company doubled down on revamping its core touring line-up, while also bringing the LiveWire electric motorcycle to market, a machine that has proven to be a sales disaster.
“The Board is grateful to Mr. Zeitz for his many significant contributions to the Company as CEO,” a statement from Harley-Davidson said. “These contributions include, but are not limited to, the creation and successful execution of Hardwire, the Company’s five-year strategic plan (2021-2025), reinvigorating the brand, and his leadership during one of the most challenging operating environments in the history of the Company.”
However, Zeitz’s tenure saw him preside over declining sales and reduced company profits. Supply chain issues, the brief suspension of production at U.S. factories at the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic and the rising cost of raw materials exacerbated an already delicate situation for the company, and it got worse in 2021 when the European Union threatened a 56 percent tariff on U.S. made motorcycles. This would effectively close the region off to the company as Europe is the Harley-Davidson’s second largest market outside of the United States.
The proposed 56 percent tariff was later dropped by the EU, but only after it cost the company millions of dollars.
The company also absorbed a $166 million loss in 2018—before Zeitz’s time—due to European tariffs.
However, the current Trump administration’s wide sweeping tariffs could have a disastrous impact on the beloved America brand, with the EU reinstating the proposed 56 percent tariffs in retaliation. This could see European prices surge to over six figures, as reported by The Wall Street Journal. And there’s more trouble on the horizon, with new tariffs leveled at Thailand, where a number of Harley-Davidson’s lower capacity and cost motorcycles are manufactured at the company’s plant in the country’s south. This would see the cost of such machines jump sharply, potentially alienating new customers.
Declining sales and during Zetiz’s time saw Harley-Davidson report a fourth quarter 2024 loss of $117 million, with domestic market share shrinking by 13 percent in the same period. For the calendar year 2024, Harley-Davidson posted a profit of $455 million, down 36 percent from 2023, although sales of its premium grade touring machines went up by eight percent in North America.
Zeitz will stay on as Harley-Davidson CEO until a replacement is found.
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