Changes are afoot at Yamaha Motor USA, as the company’s US President Terry Okawa announced a bevy of changes to the company’s motorcycle division, the most notable of which being the ascension of Mike Doughty to the role of General Manager, in charge of Motorcycle Operations.
With that announcement, Doughty announced a restructuring of Yamaha’s motorcycle operations in the United States, along with more personnel changes for the company.
Those changes include the following personnel additions, promotions, and movements:
- Derek Brooks, who was previously responsible for all motorcycle product planning operations, has been promoted to the new position of Motorcycle Product Line Manager, and will oversee both new model product planning and marketing.
- Chris Peterman, who held responsibilities for national area marketing pertaining to all Yamaha motorsports products, has joined the Motorcycle Group and will oversee wholesale promotions in the newly created Wholesale Operations Manager postion.
- David Schaufler, a long-time Yamaha Motorsports District Manager in the South Region, now joins the Motorcycle Group as the Off-Road Motorcycle Media Relations Manager. This addition will allow Marcus DeMichele, who previoulsly held responsibilities for all motorcycle media relations activities, to focus on the street segment as the Street Motorcycle Media Relations Manager.
- Philip Lash, formerly Yamaha’s Off-Road Motorcycle Product Planning Manager, has been promoted to Senior Motorcycle Product Planning Manager. Philip will focus on all motorcycle products playing a key role in assisting both Marcus DeMichele and David Schaufler in all media relations activities.
- Martin Vivanco, currently the Motorcycle Retail Programs Manager, has been promoted and will have his area of responsibilites expanded to assist the motorcycle operations team with an important focus on key new product launches and their retail success.
Today’s news comes less than a year after Yamaha folded its Star cruiser brand back into the main Yamaha Motorcycle marque, and shows that the Yamaha Motor is still adapting its American operations to the new economic climate for motorcycle OEMs.
US Motorcycle sales were down 2.1% last year, with the motorcycle market never really recovering from the effects of the Great Recession.
As a result, virtually every motorcycle brand that is doing business in America has had to re-think its US operation. Today gives us insight into how Yamaha is dealing with the pressures of this market environment.
Source: Yamaha Motor USA
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