Jochen Zeitz's five-year tenure wraps up

05/12/25 • 22 min

Jochen Zeitz stepped down as CEO of Harley-Davidson after five years, having transitioned the company’s focus from expanding its demographic to catering to its traditional, older customer base. Originally joining the board in 2007, Zeitz took over as CEO in 2020 during the pandemic, implementing a strategy called "Rewire." This plan prioritized high-end touring bikes and cut back on lower-cost models and youth-targeted innovations, such as the Livewire electric motorcycle, which was spun off as a separate brand. While Harley had a strong market presence in 2019, Zeitz's tenure raises questions about the long-term sustainability of his approach in a rapidly changing motorcycle market.

Harley-Davidson financial statements

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Throttle and Roast - Motorcycle Podcast - Jochen Zeitz's five-year tenure wraps up

Transcript

Niels00:00:00.921

Zeitz, the CEO of Harley-Davidson, is leaving. Is the motor company better off than when he started?

Niels00:00:27.638

Welcome to the Throttle and Roast podcast. I'm your host, Niels Meersschaert. Jochen Zeitz is stepping down from the CEO role at Harley-Davidson after five years at the helm. We'll talk about some background on his connection with Harley, how his vision differed from his predecessor, Matt Levitich, wha