Ken Schmidt

Ken Schmidt is a brand strategist and keynote speaker renowned for his magnetic energy and provocative insights on building customer loyalty and competitive distinction. As former director of communications at Harley-Davidson, he played a pivotal role in one of business history's most celebrated turnarounds, transforming a struggling manufacturer into a globally admired icon. Author of Make Some Noise: The Unconventional Road to Dominance, host of the Tailgating with Geniuses podcast, and co-founder of Torque Sessions Leadership Training, Ken has delivered over a thousand keynotes worldwide to organisations including IBM, Microsoft and Caterpillar. His sessions equip leaders and teams with practical strategies to create "tattoo-worthy" loyalty, helping them stand out authentically and dominate their markets.

When Ken Schmidt joined Harley-Davidson in 1985, the legendary motorcycle manufacturer was fighting for survival, its reputation tarnished and its future uncertain. Over the next decade, he helped orchestrate one of the most celebrated corporate turnarounds in business history, transforming a struggling company into a globally admired brand synonymous with loyalty, freedom and cultural distinction. His work as director of corporate and financial communications positioned Harley-Davidson not just as a product, but as a way of life that customers would proudly tattoo on their skin. That experience became the foundation for a philosophy he now shares with organisations worldwide: businesses don't win by competing on what they make, but by standing for something unforgettable.

Ken's expertise in reputation building, customer loyalty and competitive positioning has been shaped by decades of hands-on leadership and strategic insight. After leaving Harley-Davidson in 1997, he took an ownership position with VSA Partners, a Chicago-based marketing firm serving some of the world's most recognisable brands. In 1999, he founded Ken Schmidt Company to combine his passion for motorcycling with his work as a communications consultant and keynote speaker. Since then, he has delivered over a thousand presentations to audiences at IBM, Microsoft, Caterpillar, eBay and many others. He is the author of Make Some Noise: The Unconventional Road to Dominance, host of the Tailgating with Geniuses podcast, and co-founder of Torque Sessions Leadership Training, which helps executives and teams unlock performance and build stronger reputations. His insights on brand management, human behaviour and nontraditional communications have made him a sought-after voice in business media and at conferences around the globe.

Ken's message is as provocative as it is practical: in markets where customers struggle to differentiate between suppliers, businesses must stop mimicking competitors and start creating experiences that surprise, delight and inspire fierce advocacy. Through energetic storytelling, humour and real-world strategies, he challenges leaders to embrace boldness, find their authentic voice and build what he calls "tattoo-worthy" loyalty. Audiences leave his sessions with actionable tools to create distinction, strengthen their reputations and dominate their markets by becoming unapologetically memorable. Whether addressing a leadership team or a global conference, Ken equips organisations to stop blending in and start standing out for who they are, not just what they do.