Communicator spotlight: Harley-Davidson's Dylan Riddle
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Photo illustration: Axios Visuals. Photo: Courtesy of Dylan Riddle
As Harley-Davidson's head of government and corporate affairs, Dylan Riddle's workday can span meetings with policymakers on Capitol Hill, product launch conversations with reporters and crisis training with a factory.
Why it matters: For an American icon like Harley-Davidson, business decisions can carry political and cultural weight far beyond the boardroom.
What leaders should know about comms: "What we do is tactile," Riddle said.
- "It's not just about being at the table, but rather being embedded in the process and involved from the beginning with me or someone on my team engaged in the steps leading up to the moments when substantive decisions are made."
- "Think of it like a chef seasoning a dish; you don't just salt once at the end, you're seasoning along the way," he said.
What builds trust and influence: "Preparation, preparation, preparation."
- "Identify possible scenarios — good and bad — and rep them with your team and stakeholders across the business," said Riddle.
- "Nothing builds trust like being the calm person with a plan when an unexpected crisis or late-breaking win comes across your desk."
Trendspotting: The fragmentation of media consumption.
- AI is accelerating those dynamics, he said, but the implications extend to "how we communicate across cultures, how we talk about things internally within a company, and how the corporate news resonates in the news cycle."
Life lessons: "Stay intellectually curious," said Riddle, who earned his MBA taking night courses "well into my career."
- "I love to identify a subject and read several books to get a strong understanding of the nuances of an issue — my wife will tell you I know far too much about United Fruit Company and the banana industry, for example."
Best advice: Read bylines alongside coverage.
- "It forces you to think critically about every story: why was it written, who are the sources, what's the author's point of view, how did the piece come together and more."
