Harley-Davidson Names Topgolf CEO Artie Starrs As New CEO

Harley-Davidson appointed Artie Starrs as its new president and CEO, effective October 1st, according to The Wall Street Journal. Starrs will replace Jochen Zeitz, who has led Harley-Davidson since 2020 and recently overcame a shareholder effort to oust him from the board. Starrs has been the CEO of Topgolf International and Pizza Hut. The leadership change comes as Harley grapples with a long-term decline in demand, including a 15% drop in quarterly retail motorcycle sales year-over-year. Harley announced a new sub-\$6,000 bike model and the sale of nearly 10% of its financing arm to investment firms shortly before naming Artie Starrs as CEO. Starrs will face challenges from an aging customer base and discontented dealers, amid a wave of dealership closures and complaints about squeezed profitability.