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MILWAUKEE – After five years of trying to revive an American motorcycle brand that’s struggling with plummeting sales, German-born Jochen Zeitz plans to retire as CEO of Harley-Davidson. The 62-year-old Zeitz will leave sometime in 2025, the company said Tuesday morning.
Zeitz, who formerly helped resuscitate German footware brand Puma, was tapped as CEO in 2020 having joined Harley-Davidson’s board in 2007. Harley-Davidson’s worldwide sales have dropped from 180,248 units in 2020 to 151,229 in 2024.
During that time, Zeitz has reduced the company’s international footprint and trimmed dealerships in the U.S. while shifting Harley-Davidson’s focus to more expensive, high-margin products, including touring bikes, large cruisers and trikes. It virtually eliminated affordable and entry-level models that would attract new and younger riders, but were low-profit items.
Harley-Davidson’s board has begun a search process to find a successor for Zeitz, who will stay on until a successor is named.
