Harley-Davidson CEO Jochen Zeitz is set to step down from the company after years of declining sales, which many have attributed to his woke agenda.
The decades-old, world-famous company confirmed the news in a press release on Tuesday.
Zeitz oversaw the company’s recent sales decline, which ultimately resulted in a rollback of its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies.
Between 2022 and 2024, motorcycle sales dropped in all but one quarter compared to the same quarter from the previous year, according to data from Harley-Davidson Investor Relations, via the Daily Caller.
In August, the company announced it would ditch DEI initiatives and restructure its Business Employee Resource Groups (BERGs).
According to a post on SHRM CEO Action, the company described the BERGs as its “version of affinity groups and networks.”
Three of the BERGs — African American, Latina, and Asian — were labeled with racial or ethnic categories.
The reversal came after activist Robby Starbuck alleged the company “funded an all-ages pride event” that hosted drag queen story time, forced employees to train to be LGBTQ allies, and even dispatched white male employees to a segregated diversity training.
Starbuck also said that Zeitz put his signature to the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion Pledge.
Zeitz received backlash from the company’s customer base.
“Harley needs to stick with building bikes and leave the wokeness alone,” said Earnest Chapman, a 30-year Harley owner.
Another biker, 56-year-old Nick Randall, said, “I just can’t figure out why he was installed in that role if this is what is happening now,” adding, “They need to figure out a way to get rid of his ass.”
Zeitz appeared hell-bent on pushing his motorcycle company into wokeness, even declaring he would be transitioning their bikes to be all-electric.
He was so focused on environmental policies that he said he earned the moniker “sustainable Taliban” during a talk at the Zermatt Summit Foundation, a public interest group of business and other stakeholders.
Zeitz also slammed President Trump for withdrawing from the Paris Climate Accords in 2017.
“Sadly with this decision the Trump Administration is choosing to turn its back on the rest of the world,” he said.
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Whoever gave Zeitz the job also needs to step down.
Having a stratospheric price tag could be part of it……