Tesla Hires Former Harley Davidson Exec
Tesla has faced quite a bit of feedback, both positive and negative, around its electric powered sports car. During their existence, they have dealt with some internal turmoil, losing Darryl Siry, but with his departure comes the addition of an experienced leader in the marketing and sales department. Tesla has hired former Harley Davidson executive Michael van der Sande. Mr. van der Sande began his time with HD in 1996 and in 2007 he was named the managing director of European operations, which included overseeing 370 dealerships throughout Europe, Asia, and Africa.
In moving forward from the loss of Siry, Tesla considered how they wanted to market their car around the world, and how they wanted their vehicles to gather an enthusiastic following, and there are few vehicles more well known of respected around the world than Harley Davidson. Considering van der Sande’s experience in the European market and the expected push by Tesla to get their roadster moving into those markets, he seemed like the perfect choice.
Tesla hopes that as they begin moving more units, that they will begin to acquire a reputation among their faithful buyers similar to those who own and ride Harleys. The attitude of “I wont ride anything buy a Harley” is an idea that most manufacturers could only dream of, but it is a reality to HD owners, and Tesla hopes that having a piece of Harley Davidson management could help provide a similar attitude for the future of Tesla. Even though van der Sande did a great job in growing the Harley presence in Europe, realistically, can Tesla expect that hiring an overseas division manager will help mimic the appeal of over 100 years of motorcycle excellence?
Can one man help someone reach the HD level of owner passion?