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Harley-Davidson chief commercial officer Edel O'Sullivan. Photo courtesy of Harley-Davidson.[/caption]
Milwaukee-based
Harley-Davidson Inc. has named
Edel O’Sullivan as chief commercial officer, the motorcycle manufacturer announced today.
O’Sullivan, a former Bain & Company partner, joins Harley with experience in omnichannel retail and durable goods with a focus on commercial excellence and organizational change, according to a press release.
At Bain & Company, O’Sullivan led the development of major corporate transformations including the delivery of profitable growth initiatives across multiple industries, with an emphasis on retail, advanced manufacturing and OEMs.
Previously, O’Sullivan worked in financial planning and analysis of a division of Procter & Gamble.
O’Sullivan’s appointment marks the latest in
a series of leadership changes that took place after Jochen Zeitz took over Harley as chief executive officer in spring of 2020. He has since
launched The Rewire, a strategic initiative aimed at resetting the company’s operations, including the hiring of a new CFO and new operations leaders.
"Edel has an excellent track record of effectively building commercial and organizational strategies, based on clear market and consumer insights, that deliver strong financial and operational results," Zeitz said in a statement. “She will bring new perspectives and capabilities to our leadership team as we execute the priorities of our 5-year strategy, The Hardwire."
O’Sullivan will replace Harley’s current CCO Larry Hund, who will retire April 2, 2021 following 18 years with the company. However, Hund will remain chairman of the Harley-Davidson Financial Services board of directors.
"I want to thank Larry for his 18 years of hard work and dedication to Harley-Davidson,” Zeitz said in a statement. “I am most grateful that he took on the challenge to help build and transform the newly structured global commercial operation as part of the Rewire over the last year. Larry has been an outstanding leader and I look forward to his continued contribution as chairman of HDFS.”
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