Another one bites the dust.
After five years at the helm of Harley-Davidson, CEO Jochen Zeitz is handing in his keys — and his honour — in what critics call a surrender to a wave of anti-woke corporate activism sweeping the US.
While the company framed his exit as a “routine” retirement, anti-DEI actvists said the real story is steeped in culture war politics and a backlash against diversity efforts that some riders just weren’t ready for.
Zeitz, 62, was credited with reviving German sportswear brand Puma and joined Harley’s board in 2007. He became CEO in 2020.
His tenure was marked by ambitious efforts to modernize the brand, diversify its customer base, and push into new markets — including the company’s electric e-scooter brand, LiveWire — collided with a growing anti-woke sentiment that engulfed the company in controversy.
While Zeitz implemented his five-year ‘Hardwire’ strategy to grow sales and attract younger, more diverse riders, critics fixated on Harley’s adoption of basic diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies including Pride Rides.
One such critic, self-styled anti-woke crusader Robby Starbuck, took a victory lap on social media shortly after Zeitz’s retirement was announced on Tuesday.
“We EXPOSED Harley Davidson for going WOKE,” he posted on X. “They denied it. Now their WOKE CEO is RETIRING.” Starbuck has repeatedly targeted Harley for what he calls “corporate virtue signaling,” including showcasing non-traditional riders and employees in its advertising.
That online pressure wasn’t just noise.
Some long-time Harley riders went as far as to shoot up their vintage Electro-Glides with 50-cal machine guns and post the carnage to YouTube. The Harley booth at the annual Sturgis dustup last year was notable for being vacant.
Not even Bud Light could have turned in a poorer showing.
Though Harley shares climbed 11% under Zeitz’s tenure, they lagged far behind the broader S&P 500 index, which rose 77% in the same period. The company recently forecast flat or declining profits into 2025 amid a rough economy, trade wars and new tariffs expected to batter US manufacturing abroad.
Adding to mounting pressure from right-wing pundits, underwhelming domestic EV sales and resistance from legacy customers, Zeitz’s exit starts to look less like a planned retirement and more like a cultural casualty.
Harley’s board says a search for a successor began in late 2024 and Zeitz will stay on until a new CEO is named.
But analysts said regardless of whoever steps in, any new bike boss will face the daunting task of revitalizing an aging brand, navigating global trade tensions and finding a way to grow without igniting another anti-woke firestorm.
In the end, it wasn’t the road, but the internet and social media, that proved too rough for Zeitz to ride.