Retail Development Manager, Merchandising and Visual Standards
Harley-Davidson Motor Co.

As retail development manager, Lynn Knutson leads companywide cross-functional teams in establishing and advancing the Harley-Davidson and Buell merchandising strategy. Beyond the creative insight and direction of new and improved methods of reaching out to new customers, she provides strategic direction within and outside of the Retail Environment Group (REG) to help plan for product proliferation, product line extensions, and overall space planning for products to maximize sales. She also is responsible for corresponding educational training to Harley-Davidson/Buell dealers/distributor network, with advisory influence in international markets. Harley-Davidson has approximately 675 U.S. dealer locations and approximately 2,000 locations worldwide.

With over 25 years of retail experience, Knutson has managed the visual merchandising department in the Retail Environment Group for the last 12 years. Prior to joining H-D, she worked for 15 years with Carson Pirie Scott Department Stores and JC Penney Co. in visual merchandising and store planning.

Knutson is on the A.R.E. Visual Committee. A member of the editorial advisory board of VMSD magazine, she has served as a judge of POPAI’s OMA (Outstanding Merchandising Achievement) Awards and has been a presenter at GlobalShop.