Midwest SPP Cruises to Harley-Davidson’s Milwaukee Office
MILWAUKEE, WI — In September 2023, Harley-Davidson Inc. hosted the second session of the Midwest iteration of the Sustainable Partnership Program (SPP). The event kicked off with a tour of Harley-Davidson’s Product Development Center, where Harley professionals devise, construct, and test new parts and motorcycles.
After the tour, 2020 Fellow Mai Der Shaw, Deputy General Counsel & Compliance Officer, and 2018 Fellow Adraea Brown, Assistant General Counsel – Trademarks and Apparel & Licensing, welcomed and introduced the keynote speaker, Aliah Berman, Global Chief Diversity Officer at TBWA\Worldwide. Berman highlighted how diversity is not a weakness, but a superpower, and shared advice on how to thrive by leading with authenticity, self-promoting, and demonstrating vulnerability to build connections.
Following the keynote, the cohort broke out into small groups with members of Harley-Davidson’s in-house and outside counsel at each table, as well as in-house attorneys from Fannie Mae and HP. They discussed a range of topics including request for proposals (RFP), cultivating relationships, pitching, building firm capital, and effectively managing a team.
Next, Dong Park, Design Manager, delved into the history of Harley-Davidson motorcycles and how they connect the past with the future in terms of design, technology, and functionality.
Paul Krause, Harley-Davidson’s Vice President & Chief Legal Officer, Chief Compliance Officer, and Secretary, joined Adraea Brown for a Fireside Chat. The pair discussed Paul’s career journey and how Harley’s legal department fits into the organization’s structure. Paul also shared insights on establishing relationships with in-house counsel and assessing risk within an organization.
The SPP session ended with closing remarks from LCLD President Robert Grey and a networking reception at the Harley-Davidson Museum in downtown Milwaukee.
The Midwest SPP program will culminate in April 2024 with its third—and final—session with Nationwide Insurance Company, where the cohort will have opportunities to pitch before a panel of in-house counsel.
The Sustainable Partnership Program (SPP) was created in 2017 to enhance the LCLD Alumni network by providing a structured format for relationship development between in-house and outside counsel in the same geographical region. Focused on building meaningful connections locally, SPP brings together a small group of in-house decision-makers and newer law firm partners/senior associates at the cusp of making partnership. The group has three formal meetings each year and informal meetings in pairs each quarter through the Peer Partnership Program. The Midwest is the third region to host SPP; they follow Mid-Atlantic and the West.