Harley-Davidson’s board of directors has appointed Arthur Starrs, CEO of Dallas-based Topgolf International, as the Milwaukee-based motorcycle manufacturer’s next president and CEO.
Starrs will replace outgoing Harley-Davidson president and CEO Jochen Zeitz on Oct. 1, according to an SEC filing.
Starrs, 48, joined Topgolf International in 2021. Prior to joining Topgolf, Starrs was the global chief executive officer of Pizza Hut, a global pizza restaurant chain and division of Yum! Brands, from 2019 until 2021. Before assuming the role of CEO, he held positions as president, general manager, chief financial officer, and vice president of finance at Pizza Hut.
Starrs also previously served on the board of directors for Grubhub, Inc. and currently serves as a board member for Five Iron Golf and Dine Brands Global, Inc. (the parent company of Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill + Bar, IHOP, and Fuzzy’s Taco Shop restaurants).
Starrs’ annual base salary is $1,200,000. He is eligible to participate in the health and welfare benefit plans and programs maintained by the company for the benefit of its senior executive employees and will receive including a relocation package.
In addition, beginning in 2026, Starrs is eligible to earn a cash incentive award with a target amount of 150% of his base salary under the company’s short-term-incentive plan (STIP). Starrs will also be eligible to participate in the company’s long-term incentive plan (LTIP). Beginning in February 2026, Starrs will receive annual LTIP individual grants valued at $6,500,000.
Starrs will also receive a one-time cash award of $2,000,000, which he will be required to repay if he voluntarily terminates his employment within 12 months; a one-time equity grant consisting of restricted stock units with a grant date value of $4,500,000; and a pro-rated 2025 annual equity grant with an aggregate value of $1,625,000.
Zeitz notified the board in April of his interest in retiring from the company in 2025. He will remain an employee of the company through February 2026 and serve as a senior advisor.
He will receive a nominal monthly stipend for such service rather than his current salary from October 2025 through February 2026.
Zeitz, along with two other members of Harley-Davidson’s executive leadership team, were the recent targets of an activist investor campaign.
On July 30, the board also appointed Troy Alstead, a current member of the board and presiding director, to succeed Zeitz as chairman of the board.
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