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Jeffrey L. Bleustein is an American business executive, and the former Chief executive officer of Harley-Davidson. He is credited with helping save the company from possible bankruptcy in the 1980s, and leading the company's resurgence as the dominant motorcycle manufacturer in the United States.[1]
Bleustein is a native of Scarsdale, New York, and comes from a family with a background in manufacturing. His grandfather, an immigrant from Poland, ran a company called Atlas Baby Carriage in the Bronx, along with his father and two of his uncles.[2][3]
After graduating from A.B. Davis High School,[4] he earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Cornell University, and a master's degree and PhD in engineering mechanics from Columbia University.[5] He spent a year as a NATO postdoctoral fellow in England.[2]
From 1966 to 1971, Bleustein was an associate professor of engineering and applied sciences at Yale University.[5] His work on piezoelectricity along with related work by Yuri Vasilyevich Gulyayev on a new type of transverse surface acoustic wave led to that wave being called the Bleustein-Gulyaev wave.[6]
In 1971, he decided to enter the corporate world and took a job as a technology consultant with American Machine and Foundry, commonly known as AMF, a sporting goods manufacturer.[2] He was considered the "golden boy" of AMF's engineering team.[7] AMF had purchased the Harley-Davidson motorcycle company in 1969. In 1975, AMF assigned Bleustein to help reorganize Harley-Davidson's engineering operations, which he described as "an overgrown blacksmith shop" at that time.[1] He began commuting from New York to Milwaukee one day a week to manage the process.[2]
Bleustein became a Harley-Davidson employee in 1975,[8] initially as vice president of engineering. AMF's ownership of Harley-Davidson was problematic, and by some accounts, the company was close to bankruptcy in the early 1980s.[1]
Along with 12 others Harley-Davidson executives, Bleustein helped lead an $81.5 million leveraged buyout of the company in 1981.[1][2][8]
He was promoted to senior vice president in 1988,[1] executive vice president in 1990,[1] president and Chief operating officer in 1993[1] and chief executive officer in 1997.[1] He became chairman of the board in 1998.[1]
In 2010, the Harvard Business Review called Bleustein one of "The 100 Best-Performing CEOs in the World, mentioning the $13 billion increase in the company's market capitalization during his tenure as CEO.[9]
He stepped down as CEO in April, 2005 and was replaced by James L. Ziemer.[10]
As CEO, Bleustein was known for holding large numbers of face-to-face meetings with stakeholders, including customers, employees, stockholders and suppliers.[11] He was an advocate of the "free flow of ideas"[2] He is credited with strengthening the dealer network[1] and for Harley-Davidson's expansion to China, including opening dealerships in Beijing and Shanghai.[1]
After accepting his first job at Harley-Davidson, Bleustein soon became an "avid biker"[8] Early in his time with the company, he was embarrassed to discover that his new Harley-Davidson Sportster was leaking oil, and this motivated him to redesign the engine to eliminate the oil leak problem.[12] He was responsible for other engineering innovations, including rubber engine mounts to reduce vibration, redesign of the iconic Harley-Davidson V-twin engine, and introduction of Kevlar drive belts.[12]
He was an active participant in the Harley Owners Group, attending six or more events each year.[11]
Bleustein is a member of the board of directors of the Brunswick Corporation[5] and the Kohler Company.[5] He serves on the boards of the Medical College of Wisconsin and the Milwaukee Jewish Federation,[5] and is a member of Milwaukee's Congregation Shalom.[13]
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