Harley-Davidson's vice president departs less than a month after company promises marketing investment
Harley-Davidson's senior vice president and chief marketing officer, Mark-Hans Richer, has left the company.
The move comes less than a month after the motorcycle maker said it was investing more in marketing and product development.
Richer has been senior vice president of marketing since 2007 before which he spent nine years with General Motors in a number of different senior positions.
A statement from the company described Richer as “instrumental” in helping to expanding the reach of the brand and thanked him for his contributions.
The statement went on to say that “the changes are an important piece of the company's recently announced plan to build on its leadership position in the market and grow demand, with a key objective to lead in every market."
Last month the US motorcycle brand announced that it would increase spending in marketing by about 65 per cent in 2016 and spending in product development by 35 per cent- totalling a $70m investment in the areas.
Sean Cummings, who was hired in 2014 and has led the company's Latin America region, has been promoted to senior vice president of global demand.
In a conference call last month Harley chief executive, Matt Levatich, said he “expect a heightened competitive environment to continue for the foreseeable future, and now is the time for us to dial things up”.
The changes follow on from mounting pressure from competitors such as Japanese motorcycle manufacturers and Minnesota-based Indian Motorcycle Co.