SHIFTING GEARS

The American Motorcyclist Association has promoted Mike Pelletier to director of racing from his role as AMA Supercross manager, effective immediately. In his new role, Pelletier will manage the AMA’s domestic amateur and professional competition, and continue to oversee the AMA Supercross Championship. “Mike has proven his abilities as a leader and collaborator as the AMA Supercross manager for the past three years, highlighted by his composed and determined focus to help see the championship through arguably its most challenging season in 2020,” said AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman. “In addition to a deep understanding of sporting operations, Mike has the intangible qualities that make him the right person for this job.” Pelletier added he is looking forward to the challenge during an unprecedented time for the sport, with sweeping schedule changes and cancellations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. “In 2020, the racing community is demonstrating its flexibility, ingenuity and ability to work together to overcome obstacles,” Pelletier said. “Racers, promoters, clubs, our operational support crew, fans and the AMA have all become smarter and more adaptable in the wake of the pandemic.” Pelletier grew up racing motocross and held professional licenses from 2011 to 2015 in the United States and Canada. He graduated from New Hampshire’s Plymouth State University with a bachelor’s in business administration.

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In a related move, Bill Cumbow, (left pictured with legendary Honda dealer Al Lamb) who was AMA’s acting director of racing, is now the director of international competition, transitioning from his previous role as director of road racing relations prior to Mike Pelletier’s newly expanded role. Working closely with Pelletier, Cumbow will manage all of the AMA’s activity in events sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme and FIM North America. Cumbow will continue his responsibilities for MotoAmerica, home of the AMA Superbike Championship and the FIM North America Road Racing Championship. “Bill has an understanding and perspective of motorcycle racing and the AMA’s historic role in the sport that few others have achieved,” said AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman. “We value Bill’s continued role in AMA operations, and, in addition to managing our FIMsanctioned international activity, he will continue to be an asset to Mike and our domestic partners as we grow motorcycle racing in America.” Both Cumbow and Pelletier will now report through Chief Operating Officer James Holter and work directly with Dingman to manage the AMA’s competition- and FIM-related activity. But wait, there’s more! Tiffany Cipoletti, who has worked on motorcycle rights issues in Washington, D.C., for more than a decade, is the new American Motorcyclist Association government relations manager for on-highway issues. She will be based at the AMA Government Relations office in Washington, D.C., reporting to AMA Government Relations Director Mike Sayre. Cipoletti spent 13 years in various roles at the Motorcycle Riders Foundation, and served as MRF director of government relations from September until her departure earlier in July. “Having worked with Tiffany for several years while she was at the MRF, I was well aware of her knowledge of the issues affecting motorcyclists today and her skill in addressing those issues,” Sayre said. “We are happy to be able to bring someone of her caliber aboard.” Beyond her professional career in motorcycling, Cipoletti is an active member and former volunteer legislative director with the Virginia Coalition of Motorcyclists. “I am looking forward to this next step on my motorcycling advocacy path,” added Cipoletti. “I am very familiar with the issues that are important to every AMA member, and I am already getting involved.” Several years after beginning her career in motorcycling with the MRF, she signed up for a basic riding course to educate herself on the importance of rider training. With a temporary license in her hands, she bought her first motorcycle a few days later. Continued on page 18

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Continued from page 16 Women Riders Now (WRN), the longest running, largest, and most comprehensive news and information resource for female motorcyclists, appoints longtime moto enthusiast, Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) RiderCoach, and American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) leader, Maggie McNally, as Director of Rider Outreach. In this newly created role, McNally brings her formidable skills, experience, and reputation to WRN, with the goal of creating programs to add value to subscribers, expanding web and social audiences and membership. McNally’s commitment to motorcycling is deep: In 2013 she became the first female chair of the AMA Board of Directors — a first in the AMA’s then89-year history — where she helped launch the AMA International Women & Motorcycling Conference and the “Get Women Riding” campaign. “WRN is thrilled to welcome Maggie to our team,” says Sarah Schilke, Women Riders Now Co-Chairwoman. “I’ve partnered with her on a number of initiatives over the years and have been impressed with Maggie’s unmatched passion, commitment, and industry knowledge.” McNally has been an avid motorcyclist for decades, an advisor, member and volunteer for numerous motorcycle clubs and associations, and has been a MSF RiderCoach for more than 13 years. “My son wasn’t even two years old when I put his car seat in a sidecar attached to a Honda Gold Wing,” said McNally. “With his sevenyear-old sister on the seat behind me, we covered many miles and created forever memories. My goal is to reach out and engage female enthusiasts and further our prominence as the leading resource for women in motorcycling.” To learn about how your company can reach more women email Maggie

at Maggie@WomenRidersNow.com We missed a couple of Fox Racing’s global guys in last month’s Shifting Gears. Internationally, Julien Bretagne, VP of International Sales and Development has taken the helm as General Manager for Europe. Prior to joining Fox in 2012, Bretagne held various roles in sales and market development across Surf, Snow, Motocross and Mountain Bike Industries. His global focus for Fox includes international and regional business development; he was CoEuropean GM prior to his recent promotion. “This is an exciting time at Fox,” says Bretagne. “We are focused, as always, on the best, most innovative products, and now even more on the dealer experience and support for the retailer of our products’ sell-through.”

Kyle Beaird joined the Fox family as EVP Global Operations in July 2020,. His background includes operational and financial executive leadership roles with iconic performance and lifestyle brands across cycling, baseball and fashion. Kyle brings an obsession with serving the customer operationally in a way that reduces friction and elevates the experience and the brand.

The financial world has been likened to a high stakes game of chicken, but HarleyDavidson was not playing around when they hired Gina Goetter, a top finance executive at Tyson Foods, as Chief Financial Officer, effective September 30. “Gina is a CFO with the experience to drive a transformation of core processes and reporting for improved operational efficiency, build a global shared services model and modernize accounting and controls,” said Jochen Zeitz, chairman, president and CEO of Harley-Davidson. “She will add to the fresh perspectives and new capabilities now represented at the leadership level that complement the experienced talent that has been promoted from within,” he claims. “We have a diverse management team structured in a new way that is designed to fuel Harley-Davidson’s brand desirability and lead Harley-Davidson as a highperforming organization.” Goetter has more than 20 years of experience, most recently as Senior VP and CFO of Tyson Foods’s prepared foods segment. Prior to Tyson Foods, Goetter was with General Mills, where she led business model re-engineering and optimized procurement strategies and logistics. Goetter earned a BS in Finance and Economics from the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse and an MBA with a dual concentration in Finance & Marketing from Boston College.

Darrell Thomas, who assumed the role of interim CFO, will continue as Harley-Davidson’s VP and Treasurer. The company is currently continuing through The Rewire, Harley-Davidson’s efforts to, among other things, overhaul its operating model. The Rewire is planned to continue through the end of 2020, leading to The Hardwire, a new strategic plan for 2021-2025.