Pieter de Waal, a former general manager of BMW Motorrad in the UK, has joined the board of directors at front-ranking US electric motorcycle manufacturer Zero. He will also act as a consultant to the company on strategy and technical issues.
With a career in the bike business stretching back to 1994, de Waal was originally recruited by BMW Motorrad to head up its operations in his native South Africa, from an automotive background with Nissan, General Motors and Mercedes Benz. He subsequently came to Britain to carry out the same role here, before going on to run the brand’s global sales and marketing, based at its HQ in Munich. A move to the USA followed in 2008, when de Waal became BMW Motorrad’s North American supremo — a position from which he retired in March last year.
“We’re thrilled to have someone with Pieter’s wealth of experience joining the board,” said Zero chief executive Richard Walker. “His counsel will be invaluable as we enter our next phase of growth to further solidify Zero’s position as leader in the electric motorcycle marketplace.”