10 Things You Didn’t Know about KTM CEO Stefan Pierer
Stefan Pierer is the CEO of KTM AG, which is an Austrian manufacturer of motorcycles as well as sports cars. He was appointed to his current position in 2005 and is expected to continue in it until 2023, meaning that he has had a huge impact on its course of direction in recent times. Here are 10 things that you may or may not have known about Stefan Pierer:
1. Stefan Is a Version of Stephen
Stefan is a version of the English name Stephen that sees use in a number of countries. In particular, it should be noted that it sees a fair amount of use in German-speaking countries, which include Austria.
2. Stefan Means Wreath
People might be most familiar with Stephen because of Saint Stephen, but it should be noted that the name came from the Greek Stephanos. In short, Stephanos meant “wreath” in the sense of the crowning wreaths that were handed out to the winners of various contests in ancient Greece, which is why it has strong connotations of “reward” and “honor.”
3. Went to University of Leoben
Pierer went to the University of Leoben, which started up in Vordernberg but winded up being moved to its current location. It is important to note that the school is located in Austria’s mining region, which makes sense because it is Austria’s school for mining, metallurgy, and related fields.
4. Studied Business and Energy Management
At school, Pierer studied business and energy management. The two fields have a fair amount of connection with one another, seeing as how energy management can help interested businesses make effective and efficient use of energy in its revenue-earning operations for better results as well as minimized costs.
5. Started Out As a Sales Assistant
Initially, Pierer was a sales assistant at HOVAL GmbH, which specializes in making heating as well as air solutions for various kinds of customers. In time, Pierer became very successful, so much so that he was the sales manager for Upper Austria. Something that contributed to his eventual ability to found KTM Industries Group.
6. Majority Shareholder of KTM Industries Group
Speaking of which, it should be mentioned that Pierer is the majority shareholder of KTM Industries Group. This means that he owns more than 50 percent of its shares, which in turn, means that he has more say over its operations than the rest of the shareholders put together.
7. Very Direct Interview Style
Pierer has been described as someone who has a very direct interview style. In short, he is open and honest. Moreover, he isn’t inclined to become elusive when faced with tough questions but will instead do his best to answer them anyways, which is rather admirable.
8. Respects Yamaha But Savors Victories Over Honda the Most
KTM has become involved in MotoGP, so it makes sense that Pierer is looking into competing with Japanese manufacturers. It is interesting to note that he has said that he respects Yamaha the most but savors victories over Honda the most. Besides this, he has also named Kawasaki as one of his favorite brands. On the whole, it is clear that Pierer has a fair amount of respect for his Japanese competition, which is why he seems to find the prospect of competing against them so exciting.
9. Wants to Win
In the short term, Pierer’s interest in MotoGP can be summed up as matching the performance of Suzuki. However, in the long run, he is in the competition for the sake of winning rather than for the pleasure of competing. In fact, Pierer has outright stated that he isn’t involved for the sake of the Olympic spirit.
10. Eyeing Ducati
Recently, Pierer has been eyeing Ducati, which would provide his corporation’s already powerful position in the motorcycle market with an even greater edge. However, eyeing Ducati isn’t the same as saying that he will be successful in snapping up Ducati, seeing as how there is no guarantee that it is up for sale. Currently, the CEO of the Volkswagen Group is Herbert Diess, who is relevant because he is a huge fan of motorcycles and Ducati motorcycles in particular. As a result, it seems unlikely that he could be persuaded to sell.
