KTM CEO and Co-CEO address company’s restructuring plan
KTM CEO Stefan Pierer and Co-CEO Gottfried Neumeister have addressed the company’s more than 5,000 employees, unveiling a comprehensive plan to navigate the current financial challenges and ensure a robust future for KTM.
Stefan Pierer, CEO of KTM AG: “Over the past three decades, we have grown to become Europe’s largest motorcycle manufacturer. We inspire millions of motorcycle riders around the world with our products. Now, we are taking a pit stop for the future. The KTM brand is my life’s work, and I will fight for it.”
KTM, which has grown from 160 employees and a production volume of 6,000 units in 1992 to a capacity of up to 1,000 motorcycles per day, is now facing significant hurdles. To address these, KTM will initiate a legal restructuring proceeding with self-administration. The application will be submitted on Friday, November 29, with the goal of concluding the process within 90 days.
Since September 2024, Gottfried Neumeister has joined the Executive Board as Co-CEO. Stefan Pierer: “Gottfried Neumeister has brought impressive experience and a breath of fresh air and has significantly contributed to addressing the current situation. I am convinced that together we will get the company back on track for success.”
Gottfried Neumeister, Co-CEO of KTM AG: “The enthusiasm of our employees is our most important competitive advantage. Their passion is the reason why KTM is globally synonymous with peak performance. We build our motorcycles reliably and robustly for every race and terrain. Now, it’s about making the company robust. Robust for the future. So that we can quickly focus again on what we do best: building the coolest motorcycles in the world.”
During this period, Pierer and Neumeister emphasized the importance of the employees’ commitment and support. “Together, we have made KTM a success story, and together, we will carry KTM into the future,” they stated.
Comment from a former KTM dealer: “As somebody who has been directly involved with KTM even longer than Pierre, somebody who has owned two successful dealerships and prepared bikes that have won more than 25 national and world championships (mostly with KTM), my advice for what it’s worth, would be for KTM to start listening to their customers and public opinion! Get back to the level of service you had in the early 2000s and, plus some extra, improve quality control, improve warranty and technical backup, and stop chasing advanced technologies until proven reliable. Success depends on customer satisfaction, something that in the UK has been missing for a while due to the absolute arrogance of the management team here – sack them all and bring in new blood that’s enthusiastic and sympathetic to the customer who has spent thousands.”
