New Harley-Davidson CEO talks climb to the top - USA TODAY
New Harley-Davidson CEO talks climb to the top ELMIRA, N. Y. — Matt Levatich, president and CEO of Harley-Davidson (HOG), returned to familiar highways for the grand opening of the Finger Lakes Harley-Davidson dealership here. The Ithaca, N. Y. , native talked about his journey in the company, his new position and his Ithaca roots. ly/1IyohEM ELMIRA, N. Y. — Matt Levatich, president and CEO of Harley-Davidson ( HOG ), returned to familiar highways for the grand opening of the Finger Lakes Harley-Davidson dealership near here. The 50-year-old Ithaca, N. Y. , native talked about his journey in the company , his new position and his Ithaca roots. Question: Describe the first motorcycle you ever rode. Answer: The first motorcycle I ever rode was a 125 CC dirt bike in the early '70s when I was about 8, and I rode that motorcycle until I got my car license so maybe eight years with my neighborhood friends in the fields and forests where I grew up... We had shop class in middle school. The closest class I had with engineering was a mechanical drawing class. it was a great class that helped me transition into the idea of design — from fixing things to designing things. It was part of the stimulus for me going into mechanical engineering because it was about mechanical things how they work, why they don't work, how to make them better, and bringing in technical skills in math and physics that I was also strong... Source: www.usatoday.com
