Harley-Davidson has recruited Jagdish Krishnan as its first-ever chief digital officer, reporting directly to chief executive Jochen Zeitz.
A computer engineering graduate from Pune University in India with a master’s degree in data communication from Oxford, Krishnan has spent more than 20 years “leading digital transformation” for the likes of Bose Corporation, Deloitte & Touche and Patni Computer Systems.
According to a statement announcing his arrival: “He will lead the development of a new digital strategy that will enable the company to deliver the most desirable customer retail experience, whether online or in dealerships, with innovative direct-to-consumer technology supporting e-commerce and dealer digitisation.”
Commenting on his appointment, Harley supremo Zeitz added: “An enhanced digital experience is absolutely critical for us to make our global information systems and digital capabilities more customer-centric. We will take a completely different approach to applying digital technology across the company to fundamentally change how we operate and create value. Jagdish is exactly the right leader and he will ensure we connect with our customers at all touch-points.”