• Tim Buche, current chief executive officer, to assume consulting role November 1
• Erik Pritchard, current president of two associations, named to succeed as chief executive officer and president of all four associations effective November 1

IRVINE, Calif., July 16, 2019 – The boards of the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC), Specialty Vehicle Institute of America (SVIA), Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF), and Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association of America (ROHVA) today announced their leadership succession plan for all associations.

Tim Buche

Erik Pritchard

Tim Buche, chief executive officer for all the associations and president of MSF and the MIC, will begin his planned new role as a consultant beginning Nov. 1, 2019.  Erik Pritchard, president of SVIA and ROHVA and general counsel for all associations, has been selected by the respective boards to be chief executive officer and president of all four associations effective Nov. 1, 2019.  A formal announcement about Pritchard’s new role will be released in the fall.

To ensure a successful leadership transition, the first phase of the CEO succession plan was initiated in late 2017 when Pritchard was promoted to president of SVIA and ROHVA, respectively, and assumed those roles from Buche, who continued as CEO.  As part of phase 2, in November Buche will transition to a consultant for the associations.

“Even though I have the same passion for the success of all our respective association members as I did when I assumed this role nearly 25 years ago, this succession has been planned for several years to ensure an orderly transition.  I’m excited to continue serving the associations in a new way as a consultant,” Buche said.  “Erik has proven to be an effective leader since he joined us in 2014 and assumed the presidency of SVIA and ROHVA two years ago.  With exciting new initiatives under way at the associations, Erik is the right leader to work with staff to continually improve to achieve strategic plans and priorities.”

Since joining the MIC, MSF and SVIA as president in September 1996 and for the newly formed ROHVA in 2008, Buche has worked with the respective boards to set a course of improved services to their respective members to help them grow and manage their businesses, including enhanced market research, and government relations and market development initiatives.  Some of these efforts include the acquisition by MIC of AIMExpo, the premier and only trade and consumer powersports trade show in the United States; the annual Capitol Fly-In, the premier legislative advocacy event of the year for members; and the annual Communications Symposium, now entering its 21^st year and always filled to capacity with members who hear and learn from elite financial, brand and research experts.  Buche spearheaded the renowned MSF 100 Motorcyclists Naturalistic Research study with Virginia Tech Transportation Institute and he has been a frequent advocate and speaker on behalf of on- and off-highway enthusiasts.

“Tim has worked tirelessly since his very first day to make each of the associations the pillar of their respective industries, and on behalf of the MIC board we will be forever grateful for his commitment to excellence,” said Paul Vitrano, MIC board chair and senior assistant general counsel at Indian Motorcycle and Polaris Industries.  “He has been sharply focused on advancing the needs of our members and fellow riders to the highest levels of government and with blue ribbon research institutions, and all our members have greatly benefited from his leadership and dedication.”

“Tim came on board at a very critical time in 1996 when the ATV industry sorely needed a strong leader and advocate for ATV safety while also preserving and protecting our sport through testimony on Capitol Hill and on the state level,” said Alexandre Borduas, SVIA board chair and senior advisor, public affairs and government relations at BRP.  “He has been relentless in promoting the safe use of our members’ products to consumers throughout the country and helping our members navigate the federal and legislative challenges.”

“The Motorcycle Safety Foundation is the premier motorcycle safety organization nationally and internationally in large part because of Tim’s leadership and his ability to bring forth the best and brightest team in safety and research,” said Gary Martini, MSF board chair and manager at American Honda Motor Co., USA.  “His commitment to lifelong learning and understanding the human factors in motorcycling through world-renowned studies, such as the MSF 100 Motorcyclists Naturalistic Study, will live on for many decades to come.”

“In different capacities, I have had the opportunity to work with Tim on behalf of our motorcycle, ATV and side-by-side members and consumers for many years and his shoes will be difficult to fill,” said Russ Brenan, ROHVA board chair and senior advisor, government affairs at Kawasaki Motors Corp, USA.  “Tim continually pushes everyone forward, board members and staff, to ensure we are thinking outside the box and pursuing more than what’s expected.”

The Motorcycle Industry Council exists to preserve, protect and promote motorcycling through government relations, communications and media relations, statistics and research, aftermarket programs, development of data communications standards, and activities surrounding technical and regulatory issues. As a not-for-profit national industry association, the MIC seeks to support motorcyclists by representing manufacturers, distributors, dealers and retailers of motorcycles, scooters, ATVs, ROVs, motorcycle/ATV/ROV parts, accessories and related goods and services, and members of allied trades such as insurance, finance and investment companies, media companies and consultants.

The MIC is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., with a government relations office in metropolitan Washington, D.C. First called the MIC in 1970, the organization has been in operation since 1914. Visit the MIC at mic.org.

The Specialty Vehicle Institute of America^® is the not-for-profit national industry association promoting the safe and responsible use of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) through rider training, public awareness campaigns, and state legislation. Additionally, SVIA^® works to preserve access to off-road riding areas and expand riding opportunities. Accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), SVIA develops standards for the equipment, configuration, and performance requirements of ATVs. Based in Irvine, Calif., SVIA is sponsored by American Honda Motor Co., Inc.; BRP, Inc.; Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A.; KYMCO USA, Inc.; Polaris Industries Inc.; Suzuki Motor of America, Inc.; Arctic Cat; and Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A.. Visit SVIA online at svia.org. For safety information or to enroll in the ATV RiderCourse nearest you, visit atvsafety.org, or call (800) 887-2887.

The Motorcycle Safety Foundation^® promotes safety through rider training and education, operator licensing tests and public information programs. The MSF works with the federal government, state agencies, the military and others to offer training for all skill levels so riders can enjoy a lifetime of safe, responsible motorcycling. Standards established by the MSF^® have been recognized worldwide since 1973.

The MSF is a not-for-profit organization sponsored by American Honda Motor Co., Inc.; BMW Motorrad USA; BRP, Inc.; Harley-Davidson Motor Co., Inc.; Indian Motorcycle; Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A.; KTM North America, Inc.; Piaggio Group Americas, Inc.; Suzuki Motor of America, Inc.; Triumph Motorcycles Ltd; and Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. For safety information or to enroll in the RiderCourse nearest you, visit msf-usa.org or call (800) 446-9227.

The Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association is the not-for-profit national industry association promoting the safe and responsible use of ROVs (also called side-by-sides or UTVs). Accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), ROHVA develops standards for the equipment, configuration, and performance requirements of ROVs.

Based in Irvine, Calif., ROHVA is sponsored by American Honda Motor Co., Inc.; BRP, Inc.; Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A.; Mahindra North America; Polaris Industries Inc.; Arctic Cat; Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A.; and Yanmar America Corp.. For more information visit rohva.org.

All images ©2019 Motorcycle Industry Council, Specialty Vehicle Institute of America, Motorcycle Safety Foundation, Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association.