Harley-Davidson CEO Jochen Zeitz is stepping down after steering the brand through major changes. Here’s what his departure means for the future of America’s iconic motorcycle maker.
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Big changes are coming to Harley-Davidson. After steering the ship through some seriously rough waters, Chairman, President, and CEO Jochen Zeitz is getting ready to step down. Harley announced that Zeitz would stay on until they found his replacement, but after that, it was the end of an era.
The search for a new CEO is already underway, with Harley bringing in an executive search firm back in late 2024 when Zeitz gave the board a heads-up about his plans.
From Puma to Pan America
If you’re not super familiar with Zeitz, here’s the quick version: he’s the guy who turned Puma around back in the day, and he joined Harley’s board in 2007 before stepping in as CEO in 2020. Talk about timing — he took the reins right as the pandemic hit, and global chaos followed.
Zeitz didn’t waste time. He scrapped Harley’s old “More Roads to Harley-Davidson” strategy — which was all about chasing new markets and building bikes like the Bronx streetfighter (RIP) — and rolled out something new: The Hardwire.
This was a five-year plan to double down on Harley’s core strength — big, bad touring bikes, cruisers, and trikes — the stuff that actually sells, especially in North America where Harley now owns a massive 74.5% share of the touring market.
Instead of trying to out-sportbike Ducati or out-scrambler Triumph, Harley under Zeitz stayed true to itself — and it worked.
Winning with What Works
The numbers don’t lie. In 2024, Harley’s bread-and-butter models like the Road Glide, Street Glide, and the CVO lineup posted an 8% jump in sales.
Meanwhile, Harley didn’t give up on new ideas completely. Zeitz pushed ahead with the Pan America adventure bike (which people actually liked) and spun off the LiveWire electric brand. Last year, LiveWire even teased two new electric maxi-scooters for Europe, built with Kymco.
In short: Zeitz’s plan wasn’t about chasing every new trend — it was about sticking to Harley’s DNA while carefully picking new battles.
A Rough Landing?
That said, Zeitz’s exit doesn’t come at a perfect moment. Harley’s Q4 2024 numbers are pretty rough:
- Revenue dropped 47% compared to the previous year
- Motorcycle shipments were down 53%
- Global new bike sales slid 15%
And for 2025, Harley’s already bracing for a tough ride, projecting:
- Revenue flat or down by 5%
- Financial services income down 10–15%
- LiveWire losing up to $80 million this year
- Earnings per share either flat or falling by 5%
And that’s before factoring in the potential fallout from new U.S. tariffs and the brewing global trade war.
Zeitz Outside Harley
Beyond motorcycles, Zeitz is kind of a serial do-gooder. He co-founded The B Team with Richard Branson to promote better business leadership, helped set up the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa, and is big into sustainability with his projects like the Zeitz Foundation and Segera retreat in Kenya.
In a lot of ways, Zeitz brought that same long-game, values-driven mindset to Harley — even if motorcycles and eco-tourism seem like pretty different worlds.
What’s Next?
Harley’s board gave Zeitz a classy send-off in their press release, thanking him for “reinvigorating the brand” and leading during “one of the most challenging operating environments in the history of the company.”
Now, the real question is: who’s next — and will they keep Harley grounded in its roots, or take it in a new direction?
One thing’s for sure: with the Hardwire plan wrapping up and the global market shifting fast, Harley’s next chapter is going to be anything but boring.
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