The management of Harley-Davidson is going through questions following a sequence of curious strategic selections and public relations strikes which have attracted broad consideration.
The “woke” inner agenda of CEO Jochen Zeitz, and the stunning comparisons he fabricated from himself to the Taliban, the worldwide terror group, in his quest for “sustainability” have broken the bike maker’s model integrity, many say — plus sparked outrage on social media and launched a rise up amongst Harley-Davidson’s loyal clients.
Simply two days in the past, the corporate launched a press release renouncing DEI and different controversial initiatives it had put into place in recent times.
HARLEY-DAVIDSON CEO COMPARES HIMSELF TO ‘TALIBAN’ IN EFFORT TO REMAKE MOTORCYCLE BRAND
“It’s important to our enterprise that we rent and retain the perfect expertise and that each one staff really feel welcome,” the corporate famous.
“That mentioned, now we have not operated a DEI operate since April 2024, and we wouldn’t have a DEI operate right now. We wouldn’t have hiring quotas and we now not have provider range spend targets.”
Jochen Zietz, chairman and CEO of Harley-Davidson, plus a biker with an American flag on his Harley. Zietz has in contrast himself to the Taliban, the worldwide terror group, in his quest for “sustainability.” (Reuters/Brendan McDermid; Reuters)
In late July, filmmaker and conservative political commentator Robby Starbuck tweeted, “@harleydavidson has been one of the vital beloved manufacturers in America however lately on CEO Jochen Zeitz’s watch, they’ve gone completely woke.” This week, Starbuck celebrated the corporate’s change of coronary heart.
“Lately on CEO Jochen Zeitz’s watch, they’ve gone completely woke.”
Given this and extra, there are growing issues concerning the path of the Milwaukee, Wisconsin, bike maker, one in all America’s most beloved manufacturers.
Zeitz is each Harley-Davidson’s CEO and chairman of the board.
HARLEY-DAVIDSON SLAMS BRAKES ON ‘WOKE’ POLICIES AFTER SPARKING BIKER AND SOCIAL-MEDIA OUTRAGE
Fox Information Digital this week tried to achieve Zeitz and Harley-Davidson, in addition to every member of its board of administrators, to debate the board members’ model of latest occasions, in addition to different points.
Jochen Zeitz in Nuremberg, Germany, in 2008, years earlier than he grew to become CEO and chairman of the board of Harley-Davidson. (Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Photos)
Right here is the end result.
HARLEY-DAVIDSON ‘USED’ BIKERS BEFORE ‘WOKE’ CONTROVERSY, FORMER OUTLAW RIDER CLAIM
Jochen Zeitz
Board bio: Chairman, president and chief government officer, Harley-Davidson, Inc.
Further bio: Turned CEO of Puma at age 30, founding father of Workforce B with a mission to outline enterprise by social agenda, and opened the Zeitz Museum of Modern Artwork in South Africa in 2017.
“We are attempting to tackle conventional capitalism and making an attempt to redefine it,” Zeitz informed executives at a globalist enterprise summit in Switzerland in 2020, the yr he grew to become CEO of Harley-Davidson.
Reply to Fox Information Digital: Didn’t reply to cellphone or electronic mail requests from Fox Information Digital.
Pageant members are proven on their Harley-Davidson bikes on the large trip in July 2023, Saxony, Dresden. (Matthias Rietschel/image alliance/Getty Photos)
Troy Alstead
Board bio: President and CEO, Ocean5 and Desk 47, founding father of Harbor 05, LLC, and former chief working officer, Starbucks Company
Reply to Fox Information Digital: No response.
Jared Dourdeville
Board bio: H Companions Administration, LLC
Reply to Fox Information Digital: No response.
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James Duncan Farley Jr.
Board bio: President and chief government officer Ford Motor Firm
Reply to Fox Information Digital: No response.
Allan Golston
Board bio: President, United States Program for the Invoice & Melinda Gates Basis
Reply to Fox Information Digital: “I am not capable of remark,” Golston mentioned, and hung up the cellphone. Additionally, an out-of-office message arrived by way of electronic mail.
A Harley-Davidson brand is seen close to a retailer in Krakow, Poland, Jan. 2024. (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto by way of Getty Photos)
Sara Levinson
Board bio: Co-founder and former director of Katapult Studio, former government, Clubmom, Inc., NFL Properties, Inc. and MTV: Music Tv.
Reply to Fox Information Digital: No response.
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Norman Thomas Linebarger
Board bio: Former government chairman of Cummins, Inc. and former chairman and chief government officer of Cummins, Inc.
Reply to Fox Information Digital: No response.
Jochen Zeitz, then chief government officer of Puma, is proven in 2009 in Berlin, Germany. (Michele Tantussi/Bloomberg by way of Getty Photos)
Rafeh Masood
Board bio: Chief progress and digital officer of Royal Caribbean Group
Reply to Fox Information Digital: Unnamed particular person answered cellphone, mentioned Masood was not obtainable.
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Maryrose Sylvester
Board bio: Former government, ABB Group, Common Electrical Clever Platforms, and Common Electrical Lighting
Reply to Fox Information Digital: no response.
Hannah Grossman of Fox Information Digital contributed reporting.
