MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 11,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- 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 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
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SOURCE Polaris Inc.