Vern Staffel

Sourcing Specialist

From a young age, Veronika “Vern” Staffel has had a passion for powersports, a love that has shaped her career and life. With a deep-rooted interest in the industry, she set her sights on turning her passion into a lifelong career. 

After earning her bachelor’s degree, Vern pursued an MBA in Sport Management from the University of San Francisco, where she refined her business acumen and solidified her commitment to the powersports world.

Her career took off when she joined the R&D team at Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. (KMC) in Irvine, California. She worked on various projects, including market and user research during product development for the Kawasaki Vulcan S, ZX6R, ZX10R, Mule Pro, Teryx KRX, KX250F, KX450F, and JET SKI watercraft SX-R.

After her successful tenure with Kawasaki, Vern’s career path shifted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Post-COVID, Vern expanded her professional network, product knowledge, and retail experience by working for some of the largest powersports dealerships in Southern California, such as Malcolm Smith Motorsports. 

“My 7+ year run with Kawasaki corporate overlapped with some of Jan’s time as the PR Manager there. We attended some of the same meetings at Kawasaki. Still, it wasn’t until we reconnected more recently that we started to talk about what she was doing as a recruiter, and how I could add some value to the firm’s operations” 

“Now I am sourcing candidates as well. Hunting for top-tier talent and finding qualified candidates isn’t easy, but it is gratifying when I  find good people for our dealership clients.”

When Vern isn’t working, she is an avid motorcycle rider. She enjoys street bikes, motocross riding and racing, and riding trials. If she is not working or riding, you’ll find her spending time with her better half and her pets.