HARLEY-DAVIDSON NAMES A PIZZA AND GOLF EXPERT AS THEIR NEXT CEO
Harley-Davidson Motor Company has named Arthur Starrs — CEO of Top Golf and former CEO of Pizza Hut—as their new CEO. I can already hear the screams coming from Harley-Davidson’s diehard customers who were hoping that Harley-Davidson would choose a Harley rider and manufacturing guru to be the CEO. Harley-Davidson customers wanted the company to hire the polar opposite of current Harley-Davidson CEO, Jochen Zeitz. In some ways, they got their wish.
What about Arthur Starrs? Is he the right choice? I don’t know. Arthur isn’t a biker. He’s also not a chef or a professional golfer, but he did well at Pizza Hut and Topgolf. Some analysts have already dismissed Starrs as being the wrong choice for CEO. I’m not. Starrs deserves a chance to prove himself.
Starrs has a big job ahead of him. Harley-Davidson is a legendary brand with:
✅An aging customer base
✅Loss of respect by core customers
✅Not enough marketing to women
✅A lack of a strategy to attract Gen Z and Millennials; both think the bikes are overpriced
✅No ability to excite younger consumers about their bikes
✅Declining cultural relevance; little to no brand strategy for movies and shows
✅Operational and supply chain inefficiencies
✅A dealer model that needs to be improved
At 122 years old, Harley-Davidson is showing its age, but the brand isn’t dead. The brand is on shaky ground, however.
Here’s my recommendation:
Polaris Inc. should acquire Harley-Davidson. It’s a perfect fit for Polaris’s portfolio of brands. CEO, Mike Speetzen, is an engineer and operator. He knows how to scale. Mike will invest in R&D for the HD brand, and leverage Polaris’s infrastructure to reduce costs and complexity, improve manufacturing, optimize the supply chain, and leverage AI across the enterprise. ❌
Who else may want to acquire Harley-Davidson? Possibly a PE firm like KKR or Brookfield. LVMH has the capital and vision to rebrand Harley for global luxury consumers, especially in Europe and Asia. Tata Group or Mahindra Group may have an interest in acquiring HD.
I also recommend a partnership with Volonaut. The Airbike is an incredible invention, and it will generate excitement among younger consumers. Starrs should make this a priority. Tomasz Patan ❌❌
Starrs should ask himself:
🤔 Can I reinvent Harley faster alone—or by being part of Polaris?
🤔 Who else should I speak to about an acquisition of HD?
🤔 Can I build a lifestyle empire—or has the brand lost its edge?
🤔 Is VOLONAUT the future?
Whatever Starrs decides to do, he has to do it fast. HD must create more customers. Time is running out.
It’s your move, Arthur. I wish you the best.
On another note: DICK’S Sporting Goods or Dave & Buster’s Inc. should acquire Topgolf.
#HarleyDavidson #Polaris #Motorcycles #Leadership #MergersAndAcquisitions #TurnaroundStrategy #BusinessStrategy #EV #Manufacturing #retail
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Original on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/brittainladd_harley-davidson-names-topgolfs-arthur-starrs-activity-7358115947536138240-TLK-?utm_source=combined_share_message&utm_medium=ios_app&rcm=ACoAAA_417cBovZsLTF-QChre8_Va0juuSibebU