Paul Krause
About Paul Krause
Paul Krause (age 47) has served on LiveWire Group, Inc.’s Board since June 2023. He is the Chief Legal Officer, Chief Compliance Officer, and Corporate Secretary of Harley‑Davidson, Inc. (H‑D), where he leads global legal support and oversaw the separation of LiveWire from H‑D and its establishment as a separate public company. He holds a J.D. from Marquette University Law School and a B.Sc. in Business Administration from Drake University .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harley‑Davidson, Inc. | Chief Legal Officer, Chief Compliance Officer, Corporate Secretary | 2016–present (joined H‑D in 2016) | Led separation of LiveWire from H‑D; responsible for governance, compliance, manufacturing, sales support, litigation, trademarks, IP |
| ArcelorMittal | Attorney | Prior to 2016 (exact dates not disclosed) | Corporate legal roles |
| Littler Mendelson | Attorney | Prior to 2016 (exact dates not disclosed) | Employment/labor law practice |
External Roles
No other public company directorships are disclosed in the LiveWire proxy biography for Mr. Krause .
Board Governance
| Category | Detail | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| Independence | Not independent (employee of H‑D) | |
| Director since | June 2023 | |
| Board attendance | Board held 7 meetings in 2024; each Director attended ≥75% of Board and committee meetings during their service | |
| Committee assignments (2025 slate) | Human Resources Committee – Member; Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee – Chair; Sustainability & Safety Committee – Member; Audit & Finance Committee – Not a member; Conflicts Committee – Not a member | |
| Committee activity (2024) | HRC: 7 meetings; NCGC: 4 meetings; SSC: 4 meetings | |
| Lead Independent Director | Dr. John Garcia (Independent Lead Director) |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | 2024 Amount ($) | Notes | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Additional Board compensation for H‑D employees (including Krause) | $0 | Employees of LiveWire or H‑D do not receive additional compensation for Board service |
Performance Compensation
| Instrument | 2024 Grant/Outstanding | Vesting/Notes | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSUs (Director awards) | None | H‑D employees (including Krause) do not hold awards to acquire LVWR common stock | |
| Options (Director awards) | None | No director option awards disclosed for H‑D employees |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Entity | Role/Linkage | Key Terms/Exposure | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harley‑Davidson, Inc. (H‑D) | Krause is an H‑D executive (Chief Legal/Compliance/Corporate Secretary) | H‑D is controlling shareholder and primary strategic/operational partner | |
| Master Services Agreement (New, effective Jan 1, 2025) | H‑D provides services on cost-plus basis; 7‑year initial term; H‑D may terminate on change of control or if LVWR doesn’t manufacture ≥40% with H‑D; governance via joint steering committee | Ongoing related-party services and pricing oversight; termination rights tied to LVWR production with H‑D | |
| Contract Manufacturing Agreement (amended Feb 14, 2024) | H‑D exclusive manufacturer for EV platforms on cost-plus pricing with 6% markup; minimum volume commitments; termination and warranty provisions | Operational dependence, pricing and volume obligations to H‑D | |
| Trademark License Agreement | Royalty‑free license to use certain H‑D marks; auto-renews every 2 years; H‑D retains approval rights and can terminate for specified breaches | Branding dependence; approval gate by H‑D | |
| Joint Development Agreement | EV‑related joint development opportunities; IP ownership/licensing framework; mutual indemnities | Technology/IP interdependence | |
| Tax Matters Agreement | Consolidated/combined tax return mechanics; LVWR pays “separate federal tax liability” to H‑D; H‑D may utilize LVWR tax attributes without compensation | Tax alignment/conflicts under control structure | |
| Convertible Delayed Draw Term Loan (Feb 14, 2024) | Up to $100M term loans from H‑D | Financing dependence and potential governance signals |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Corporate governance and global compliance leadership; led LiveWire separation and public listing process .
- Legal credentials: J.D. (Marquette University Law School) and B.Sc. in Business Administration (Drake University) .
Equity Ownership
| Metric (as of Mar 24, 2025) | Amount | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| Shares beneficially owned | 0 | |
| Ownership % of outstanding (203,566,228 shares outstanding) | 0% (reported as “*” less than 1%) | |
| RSUs outstanding | 0 (H‑D employees do not hold LVWR RSU awards) | |
| Options outstanding | 0 (no options disclosed for H‑D employees) | |
| Shares pledged as collateral | None; “to our knowledge, no shares beneficially owned by any executive officer or Director have been pledged” |
Governance Assessment
- Independence and role: Krause is not independent but chairs the Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee, concentrating governance influence in a non‑independent director. This is a board effectiveness concern for investor confidence, particularly given H‑D’s control .
- Conflicts oversight mitigation: Conflicts Committee is composed entirely of independent Directors and excludes Krause; it oversees material arrangements and transactions between LVWR and H‑D, which partially mitigates interlock risks .
- Related‑party exposure: Extensive ongoing commercial, manufacturing, IP, tax, and financing agreements with H‑D create structural conflicts; Krause’s H‑D executive role elevates perceived conflict risk in governance deliberations .
- Attendance and engagement: Board held 7 meetings in 2024; each Director attended ≥75% of Board and committee meetings, indicating baseline engagement .
- Ownership alignment: Krause holds no LVWR shares and receives no LVWR director equity awards, limiting “skin‑in‑the‑game” alignment relative to non‑employee directors subject to ownership guidelines .
- Say‑on‑pay context: As an emerging growth company, LVWR is exempt from advisory votes on executive compensation, reducing shareholder feedback mechanisms on pay/governance in the near term .
RED FLAGS
- Non‑independent director chairs the Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee .
- Deep interlocks with controlling shareholder H‑D across services, manufacturing, IP, tax, and financing agreements; Krause is a senior H‑D executive .
- No LVWR equity ownership or director equity awards for Krause, limiting direct alignment with minority shareholders .