Brand & Content Director — Powersports & Automotive
New Berlin, WI · 650.274.1000 · david@davidhilgendorf.com · LinkedIn
Editor-in-Chief and brand leader who turns technical products into stories enthusiasts trust. Fifteen years building and revitalizing brands across motorcycling, powersports and automotive — including a four-year turnaround of a 50-year-old enthusiast publication delivered on budget and on deadline every month. A rare combination of enterprise engineering background, editorial leadership and lifelong rider credibility: fluent with engineers, believable in the paddock.
Brand Positioning · Content Strategy · Editorial Leadership · Product Storytelling · Go-to-Market Planning · Team Leadership · Consumer Insights · Dealer & Channel Enablement · Digital Transformation · SEO & Analytics · Executive Communications
Experience
AMSOIL Inc. — Technical Editor, Motorsports & Industrial
Superior, WI · 2022 – Present
Own product and category communications for a premium lubricant portfolio across powersports, automotive and industrial markets.
- Built and manage cross-channel content spanning marketing, editorial, digital and social for a multi-category product line.
- Authored and maintain a 500+ document technical library serving consumer, dealer and industrial audiences.
- Translate formulation science and engineering test data into product stories, category education and trend content — standardizing brand voice across every consumer and dealer touchpoint.
OSK / Omnicom — Editor, Motorsports & Technology
Milwaukee, WI · 2022 – 2024
Agency editorial lead producing global communications for premium automotive and mobility clients, including Mercedes-Benz and ZF.
- Produced global PR, executive communications and media-ready content for luxury automotive brands.
- Led product storytelling and media outreach across cross-departmental campaigns.
- Converted engineering and technical source material into narratives for international consumer and trade audiences.
- Developed omnichannel messaging and category narratives for OEM and aftermarket clients.
- Ghostwrote executive communications, including thought leadership, financials and keynote scripts.
Independent Consulting — Principal, Brand & Content Strategy
2020 – Present
Brand positioning, messaging frameworks and editorial strategy for motorsports, automotive, outdoor and technology clients.
- Classic BMW Motorräder — Editor-in-Chief. Sole owner of editorial direction, brand voice, writing, editing, layout and publication for an enthusiast title.
- Modernized the logo and wordmark and redesigned the website with paywalls and club member subscription invitations.
Lumina Media / Motorcycle Consumer News — Editor-in-Chief
Irvine, CA · 2016 – 2020 (role ended when the publisher ceased operations)
Recruited to revitalize a 50-year-old enthusiast monthly — the “Consumer Reports of motorcycling” — operating on subscription revenue with zero advertising. Led brand, editorial, digital and P&L-facing content strategy reporting to the CEO.
- Sustained an above-industry-average 75% renewal rate while raising subscription price 15%, with no advertising revenue.
- Executed a targeted social and website redesign that cut conversion costs 50%.
- Partnered with 500 dealers to distribute subscription incentives into a precise target market.
- Analyzed consumer data to modernize brand identity, growing electric, backcountry and women-oriented content by 50% to match expanding industry segments.
- Built and mentored a 20-person remote staff and contributor team; restructured workflow to improve throughput.
- Renegotiated contributor contracts to capture digital publication rights at existing rates — a 20% content cost reduction.
- Delivered every monthly issue on budget and on deadline for four consecutive years, a first in a decade.
- Grew the print book from 32 to 48 pages while personally producing up to 60% of monthly content.
- Directed the in-house print-to-digital transition on WordPress, launching MCNews.com, and planned the conversion of 50 years of archive content to SEO-optimized digital.
- Reader-voted “best motorcycle magazine.” The publication’s founding editor wrote that MCN was “better now than when he started it.”
Scorpion Sports Inc. / EXO — Product Development Director
Santa Fe Springs, CA · 2011 – 2013 · Marketing, Distribution & Sales
Owned the motorsports product lifecycle for an international helmet and technical apparel manufacturer.
- Delivered $1M in quarterly sales through dealer development, product education and value-proposition training.
- Ran competitive and consumer trend analysis with a 20-person outside sales team across a 1,000-dealer network to direct new product development.
- Built go-to-market strategy, forecasting, ROI and KPI frameworks for new product introductions.
- Developed and copyedited a 5,000-SKU catalog, reducing order errors.
FocalPoint Business Coaching — Certified Executive Coach
2014 – 2016
Brian Tracy–certified practice in sales performance, leadership development and strategic planning.
Earlier career — Technology & Rider Training
1997 – 2011
- Senior systems engineering roles at SGI (1997–1999) and Excite@Home (1999–2001), supporting enterprise customers including DreamWorks, NASA and Fidelity.
- Built an 8-person operations team supporting 1,500 UNIX servers and 3 million broadband subscribers across 7 countries; achieved a 99.9% availability SLA and recovered $20M in underutilized assets.
- Business development for 1 Source Technologies, a Microsoft solutions partner (2002–2003).
- Networking QA analyst contract with Sony Computer Entertainment / PlayStation Network (2003–2004).
- Concurrent MSF RiderCoach and California Motorcyclist Safety Program instructor (2003–2018) — trained 6,000+ riders over fifteen years using student-centered, adult-learning methodologies.
Education, training & credentials
- B.S., Business Administration — Whitman School of Management, Syracuse University
- MICA: Creative/Critical Thinking; Product & Process Management; Organizational Change
- BTI: Culture Building; Behavioral Insight; Leadership Development; Strategic Planning
- Toastmasters International: Competent Communicator / Competent Leader
Technical: Adobe Creative Cloud (InDesign, Photoshop) · WordPress · Google Analytics · SEO · A/B Testing · ERP / CRM (Salesforce & Dynamics) · Microsoft 365 · UNIX
Industry: Lifelong motorcyclist across ADV, touring, sport and off-road. Former MSF/CMSP RiderCoach — 6,000+ students. Twice-invited guest speaker and panelist at Americade, the largest single-site, multi-brand motorcycle expo and rally in the U.S.