0000931015false00009310152024-01-082024-01-08

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 OR 15(d) of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934

January 8, 2024
Date of Report (date of earliest event reported)

POLARIS INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware
1-11411
41-1790959
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)
(Commission File Number)
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
2100 Highway 55
Medina
Minnesota
55340
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
(Zip Code)
(763) 542-0500
Registrant's telephone number, including area code

N/A
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each classTrading Symbol(s)Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, $.01 par value per sharePIINew York Stock Exchange

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.
o





Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

On Monday, January 8, 2024, Ken Pucel, Executive Vice President, Global Operations and Chief Technology Officer, of Polaris Inc. (the “Company”) informed the Company of his decision to retire effective April 12, 2024. Effective immediately, Mr. Pucel’s responsibilities will be distributed to other leaders within the Company and he will cease to be an executive officer of the Company. Prior to his departure from the Company in April, Mr. Pucel will continue to support the Company in a strategic advisory role only.

Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure.

On January 11, 2024, the Company issued a press release related to the announcement of Mr. Pucel’s retirement. A copy of the press release is furnished herewith as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated herein by reference. The information contained in this paragraph, as well as Exhibit 99.1 referenced herein, shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933.

 Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits

(d) Exhibits
Exhibit No.  Exhibit
Press Release dated January 11, 2024 of Polaris Inc.
104Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL)






SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
Date:January 11, 2024
 POLARIS INC.
/s/ Lucy Clark Dougherty
Lucy Clark Dougherty
Senior Vice President—General Counsel and Secretary


image_0a.jpg
    
Polaris Announces Executive Vice President of Global Operations and Chief Technology Officer Ken Pucel to Retire; Realignment to Deepen Connection with Strategy and Global Business Unit Structure


MINNEAPOLIS, MN – (January 11, 2024) Polaris Inc. (NYSE: PII) today announced Executive Vice President (EVP) of Global Operations and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Ken Pucel has announced his intention to retire in April, following a notable nine-year career with Polaris.

“Ken has been an instrumental leader, operational advisor and trusted colleague during his career with Polaris,” said Mike Speetzen, Polaris CEO. “I am grateful for the impactful contributions he has made to our organization, from improving our safety performance; to enhancing the capabilities of our global operations, innovation, and Product Development processes; to navigating the unprecedented complexity of our supply chain and logistics throughout the global pandemic. His laser focus on quality and passion for the industry has helped Polaris raise the bar for quality, performance, and innovation. Ken has built a strong foundation that leaves us well-positioned for continued growth and operational excellence well into the future. Under his leadership, we are situated to take the next step in our evolution to become a more business-unit oriented, customer-focused organization.”

Pucel joined Polaris in 2014 as EVP of Operations, Engineering, and Lean, and was named CTO in 2022. During his tenure, he was responsible for the global growth and expansion of the Company’s operations. Pucel oversaw the Company’s efforts to enhance its Lean capabilities, refine its supplier and logistics operations, and invest in its safety, quality, and operational processes.

By design, Polaris is elevating and expanding the roles of the following leaders to continue delivering on its long-term strategy, drive profitable growth, and more closely align operations and engineering teams into its Global Business Units:
To continue advancing Polaris’ commitment to Rider-Driven Innovation, Polaris’ Vice President of Off Road Engineering Tony Kinsman has been appointed CTO, in addition to his current responsibilities. In this expanded role, Kinsman will oversee the continued advancement of Polaris’ central engineering capabilities and technology development, while driving increased integration between Polaris' engineering teams. He will dual report to Speetzen and Steve Menneto, president of Off Road. A 20-year veteran with the Company, Kinsman has a keen understanding of Polaris, along with extensive technical and leadership expertise, having spent his career in various Off Road and Central Engineering roles focused on vehicle design, development, and technology integration.
To reinforce the Company’s commitment to Agile & Efficient Operations, Polaris’ Sourcing and Logistics teams will move under Marc Suarez, vice president of Polaris Off Road Operations. Given the complex and dynamic nature of the procurement and logistics environments, Suarez will be responsible for driving deeper alignment between Polaris’ business teams and its strategic sourcing and logistics plans. He will continue to report to Menneto. With more than 25 years of operations experience, he is an experienced leader with a strong track record of success, who previously held key leadership roles at Daikin, United Technologies, Easton Bell Sports, and Whirlpool.
To support critical centralized needs and continue its commitment to Lean and quality across the enterprise, Polaris is naming Doug Adrian as vice president of Quality & Operational Excellence and will report to Speetzen. He will lead critical centralized areas of focus, including quality, central manufacturing, employee health and safety, Lean, and indirect sourcing. Adrian brings more than 25 years of experience in operations, quality, and process development. He joined Polaris in 2020, most recently serving as vice president and general manager of Godfrey and Hurricane within the Polaris Marine segment.

“Tony, Doug, and Marc are recognized leaders who will bring a wealth of understanding and experience to these roles. Building on the path that Ken laid out, now is the natural time to continue the progress of our organization evolution and transition several areas of formerly centralized operations closer to key stakeholders that can drive
1


image_0a.jpg
    
impactful decisions, while maintaining important cross-company teams that foster cohesion in critical areas across our businesses," said Speetzen.

To support these leaders in their new and expanded roles, Pucel will transition into a strategic advisor role until he officially retires in April 2024. The aforementioned organizational changes are effective immediately.


About Polaris
As the global leader in powersports, Polaris Inc. (NYSE: PII) pioneers product breakthroughs and enriching experiences and services that have invited people to discover the joy of being outdoors since our founding in 1954. Polaris’ high-quality product line-up includes the RANGER®, RZR®, Polaris XPEDITION®, and GENERAL™ side-by-side off-road vehicles; Sportsman® all-terrain off-road vehicles; military and commercial off-road vehicles; snowmobiles; Indian Motorcycle® mid-size and heavyweight motorcycles; Slingshot® moto-roadsters; Aixam quadricycles; Goupil electric vehicles; and pontoon and deck boats, including industry-leading Bennington pontoons. Polaris enhances the riding experience with a robust portfolio of parts, garments, and accessories. Headquartered in Minnesota, Polaris serves more than 100 countries across the globe. www.polaris.com

# # #

MEDIA CONTACT
Jessica Rogers
Polaris Inc.
phone: 763-513-3445
Jessica.Rogers@polaris.com

INVESTOR CONTACT
JC Weigelt
Polaris Inc.
phone: 763-542-0525
JC.Weigelt@polaris.com


2

v3.23.4
Cover Page
Jan. 08, 2024
Cover [Abstract]  
Document Type 8-K
Document Period End Date Jan. 08, 2024
Entity Registrant Name POLARIS INC.
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code DE
Entity File Number 1-11411
Entity Tax Identification Number 41-1790959
Entity Address, Address Line One 2100 Highway 55
Entity Address, City or Town Medina
Entity Address, State or Province MN
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code 55340
City Area Code 763
Local Phone Number 542-0500
Written Communications false
Soliciting Material false
Pre-commencement Tender Offer false
Pre-commencement Issuer Tender Offer false
Title of 12(b) Security Common Stock, $.01 par value per share
Trading Symbol PII
Security Exchange Name NYSE
Entity Emerging Growth Company false
Entity Central Index Key 0000931015
Amendment Flag false

Polaris (NYSE:PII)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2024 to May 2024 Click Here for more Polaris Charts.
Polaris (NYSE:PII)
Historical Stock Chart
From May 2023 to May 2024 Click Here for more Polaris Charts.