AMA Hall of Famer and former Harley-Davidson CEO Richard Teerlink dies at 88
The American Motorcyclist Association Motorcycle Hall of Fame inductee Richard Teerlink, who served as Harley-Davidson’s chief executive in the 1980s and ’90s, has died at 88 years old.
In a statement released April 30, the AMA writes about how Teerlink’s lifelong love for motorcycles kickstarted when he was 14 years old, despite his father’s hesitancy to allow him to own his own bike. He became enamored with the Harley-Davidson 125s and Cushman motor scooters that his friends would ride.
Later in his life, Teerlink turned to the motorcycle industry and relied on those childhood memories to help the rebuild of Harley-Davidson throughout the 1980s and ’90s.
Teerlink joined the famed motorcycle marque in 1981 as the chief financial officer, where he quickly went to work on finding new financing for Harley-Davidson. His persistence was rewarded quickly, and the brand found new financing, serving as the first step toward its remarkable rebuild during his time at the company.
Soon after, Teerlink took over as Harley-Davidson’s president and CEO, utilizing his personal vision and values to rebuild the famed brand in his image. As CEO, Teerlink was known for ingraining himself at all levels of the organization, working with employees at all levels. He also forged relationships with motorcycle dealers, suppliers and riders to boost the brand nationwide.
Teerlink’s impact was seen in Harley-Davidson’s economic rebound during his tenure. In his first year as CFO, Harley posted an operating loss $15.5 million on revenue of $210 million, which expanded to operating profits of $416 million on revenue of $2.45 billion when he retired in 1999.
For his efforts within the industry, Teerlink was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2015.
