H Partners Intensifies Harley-Davidson Board Campaign

Harley-Davidson is under renewed pressure from H Partners, its second-largest shareholder with a 9.1% stake, which is campaigning to remove CEO Jochen Zeitz and board members Norman Thomas Linebarger and Sara Levinson. H Partners cites severe underperformance, cultural issues, and a more than 40% drop in share price over the past year as reasons for the campaign. The firm is urging shareholders to withhold votes for the three leaders at the upcoming annual meeting and is calling for Zeitz's immediate resignation, despite his plan to retire after a successor is found. Tensions escalated after H Partners’ representative Jared Dourdeville resigned from the board, highlighting concerns over leadership, culture, and board transparency. Harley-Davidson has warned that the campaign may disrupt its CEO search and long-term strategy. The activism follows reports of dealer and customer sentiment toward the brand reaching all-time lows under current leadership.