Lynn Knutson

Growing up in a small town in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Lynn Knutson says she gained an appreciation “for small towns, wide open spaces and the clear water of Lake Michigan,” not to mention the value of hard work and the drive to succeed.

As visual merchandising program manager at Harley-Davidson Motor Co., America's premier motorcycle manufacturer, she's in charge of creating retail environments and presentations for one of our culture's most dynamic, most recognizable lifestyles.

In 1996, she become retail merchandiser for Harley-Davidson. “I traveled to dealer facilities and assisted dealership staff with overall merchandise presentation,” she says. “I made recommendations on store layout, product presentation and visual merchandising. I trained staff on retail-forward practices to improve the customer shopping experience.”

She presented the idea of creating a department to develop retail support programs and, in 1998, the visual merchandising programs department was born. “My staff and I are responsible for the research, design development, production and implementation of branded retail store fixtures, perimeter wall systems, graphic and signage programs, audio/video in-store digital signage programs and the list goes on,” she says.

As a member of the VM+SD Editorial Advisory Board, Knutson will once again play an active role in this year's International Retail Design Conference (September 6-8 in San Francisco). In addition to providing the VM+SD editorial staff with input and feedback, she'll be a panelist in this year's Ask the Experts session, where attendees are encouraged to ask a group of retailers about nearly anything on their minds. Knutson will be joined on the panel by Jeffrey Key of Lowe's, Karen Meskey-Wilson of J.C. Penney and Mike Tersigni of The Children's Place.

So get ready to ask Knutson all sorts of questions. We did.

Tell us about your Harley.

In 2002, I purchased my first motorcycle, a VRSC V-Rod. We put a lot of miles on that bike and sold it last summer. I am now dreaming of a new Road King Custom.

How did you earn your first dollar?

I worked the summer out of high school in a vegetable canning factory. My shift was 3 p.m. to 6 a.m. A 15-hour shift can feel like a lifetime when you're 18 years old.