Brunswick Corporation chief executive and executive chairman David Foulkes will retire at the end of 2026, with Aine Denari appointed chief executive and joining the board from 1 January 2027. David Everitt, currently lead independent director, will become non-executive chairman on the same date.
Denari is currently executive vice president and president of Navico Group and Brunswick chief technology officer. Her appointment follows a planned succession process after Foulkes’ eight years as chief executive and a two-decade career with the US marine group.
Foulkes has led Brunswick as chief executive since January 2019 and became chairman in February 2025. Before becoming chief executive, he served as Brunswick’s first chief technology officer and ran the company’s Boat Group and financial services businesses, which later formed the core of Business Acceleration. His first Brunswick role was vice president of product development at Mercury Marine.
Leadership team
“It has been the greatest honour and privilege of my professional life to lead Brunswick Corporation as CEO for the last eight years,” he said.
“With the best leadership team in our industry and the hard work and support of our thousands of committed and talented global employees, we have built the world’s largest and most innovative marine technology company and have outperformed the market and delivered strong shareholder returns through a prolonged period of external turbulence.”
Foulkes said the timing was right for a transition. “I am extremely confident that Aine is the right person to lead Brunswick on the next stage of its journey,” he said.
Denari has more than 30 years’ experience across automotive, mobility, industrial and manufacturing businesses. She joined Brunswick in 2020 as executive vice president and president of Brunswick Boat Group, before moving in 2024 into a dual role as president of Navico Group and chief technology officer.
Strong foundation
Brunswick says she has helped drive Navico Group market share gains, financial performance and product innovation, including Lowrance and Simrad developments such as AutoCaptain, described by the company as a fully integrated autonomous boat docking solution.
Denari also serves as a director of Masco Corporation and has advanced degrees in engineering and business.
“I am thrilled to be appointed CEO of Brunswick Corporation, an exceptional company with a proud legacy, and I look forward to building on its strong foundation,” said Denari. “I thank Dave and the board for their confidence and trust, and I am committed to a seamless transition.”
She added that Brunswick would continue to execute the strategy set out at its 2026 Investor Day.
“I deeply believe in our Next Never Rests culture of continuous improvement and am excited to help lead the next generation of innovative, technology-enabled solutions that make boating easier and more enjoyable,” said Denari.
Growth and success
Brunswick employs about 14,500 people globally and operates across marine propulsion, parts and accessories, boat brands and associated technologies.
“On behalf of the entire board, our employees, customers, and shareholders, I thank Dave for his remarkable service and his commitment to ready the next generation of Brunswick leaders and maintain an award-winning culture,” said Everitt.
“We are confident Aine is the ideal next CEO for Brunswick, and we are excited to work with her as she leads the company forward to deliver its next phase of growth and success.”
