MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Polaris Industries Inc. announces that Chris Musso will join the company on November 6th as President, Off-Road Vehicles (ORV), reporting directly to Chairman and CEO Scott Wine. Polaris’ snow business will also report to Musso.
“I am elated to have Chris joining our Polaris leadership team and excited about leveraging his broad experience, keen intellect and passion for powersports to build on the positive momentum our Off-Road Vehicles team has developed. Having witnessed the intense drive and competitiveness that Chris brings to business and operational challenges, I am confident he is the right leader for this key part of our Polaris portfolio,” said Wine. “Chris has helped numerous companies, ranging from the automotive and outdoor recreation industries to the chemicals sector, spur growth and increase productivity. That ability, along with his strategic vision, product development expertise, and understanding of how Polaris operates, will be a tremendous asset to the entire organization. Just like the rest of this Polaris team, Chris likes to win, and we are excited to see him propel the ORV division into a very bright future.”
For nearly 20 years, Musso has been helping companies drive growth through product and competitive strategy. Most recently, he was a senior partner and leader of McKinsey & Co.’s Americas Product Development group, where he focused on helping clients pursue growth through enhancing their product development and innovation strategies. Musso also was the founding partner for McKinsey’s Denver office and built it into one of their fastest-growing locations. Prior to his time at McKinsey, Musso spent five years leading a small engineering and modeling consultancy.
Musso says, “Having owned more than ten Polaris vehicles, it is fair to say I’m an avid powersports enthusiast, and Polaris has always been the product and performance leader in this industry. Polaris has a highly talented team in place and I cannot wait to start building on the solid foundation they have established. Looking ahead, I’m excited to work with the team to drive strategy, innovation and product superiority that will take ORV and Snow to new heights.”
Musso holds a doctorate in technology, management, and policy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and master’s degrees in materials science, business administration and technology policy, also from MIT, where he served as a Leaders for Manufacturing Fellow. He earned his bachelor’s degree in manufacturing from Brigham Young University. In addition, Musso is the author of several papers on materials engineering and product innovation and holds a U.S. patent for metal matrix composite technology.
