Harley-Davidson has announced the appointment of the company’s president and COO Matt Levatich as the CEO, from May 1. Matt will replace 65-year old Keith Wandell, who was elected to the position in May 2009.
Matt is a mechanical engineer and a graduate in engineering management and business administration and has been working with Harley-Davidson since 1994. Matt previously was in charge of Harley-Davidson’s European division of MV Agusta, the vice president of materials management and has also overseen the operations of the company’s parts and accessories division.
Speaking about his appointment, Matt said, “It’s a great honour to become the next CEO of this iconic company. As we look to the future, we believe there are tremendous opportunities to build on our many strengths. Harley-Davidson is one of the world’s most-powerful and revered brands, and through our strategies to provide unrivalled products and experiences for our customers, we aim to extend our reach and work to realize our full potential as a growing global company.”
Wandell has played a very important role in bringing the company to its current financial state and Matt is taking over the operations of Harley-Davidson at a very good time. The iconic American manufacturer recently announced profits for the sixth consecutive year with annual sales crossing 2.7 lakh units, up 3.9 per cent as compared to 2013.
