British Marine has appointed five new non-executive directors to its board, with effect from 18 July 2024.
The new board members are Paul Knox-Johnston, Miles Moorhouse, Luke Morrison, Carl Onens who has been appointed as treasurer, and Malcolm Stewart.
Paul is sales and marketing manager at Haven Knox-Johnston and the current chair of British Marine’s Professional Services Association. His career has spanned a broad spectrum, encompassing boat sales, yacht charters, marine finance and most recently insurance, where he has been instrumental in bringing back the Haven Knox-Johnston name.
“Having served as chair of the British Marine Professional Services Association for the past two years, I am incredibly proud of the support that British Marine provides to the industry and have seen first-hand the value that the organisation brings,” he said. “I look forward to continuing this work on the board and contributing to the ongoing success and growth of the marine industry in the UK.”
Miles is head of marketing at Fairline Yachts and has worked in the leisure marine sector for 16 years, primarily at Fairline, with a brief period at Sunseeker, overseeing global marketing initiatives.
His early background was in the automotive industry with positions at Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen Group in the UK.
Prior to that, he worked in the advertising industry in London.
“I’m particularly looking forward to bringing my experience of international boat shows to British Marine and being an active member of the team that propels the Southampton International Boat Show to wider audiences – both in terms of exhibitors and visitors,” he said.
Luke is the CEO/MD of Rooster Sailing, and his career spans both the commercial and voluntary sectors.
He began in the medical surgical device industry but soon transitioned to the marine industry, joining Rooster to focus on business development and growth. In his current role, he has guided the company through challenging times, maintaining stability, and driving new growth.
“Coming from Rooster, a very typical SME and with a passion for wanting to make sure members in any form of organisation are listened to and represented well, I look forward to supporting the board and helping to move our marine industry forward with good stability and exciting growth,” he said.
Carl is the MD of ABC Leisure Group. Prior to joining the company as finance director in 2006, Carl worked in the finance functions of several multi-million-pound turnover international organisations. He recently completed a four-year term as an elected business boating representative on the Canal & River Trust council.
“I have a long-standing association with British Marine having worked within the industry for almost 20 years and look forward to help with the vital role representing members,” he said.
Malcolm is head of Haven Knox-Johnston Commercial insurance brokers and has been assistant chair of the Professional Services committee for the last three years and a member of the committee for the previous three years.
“I am pleased to be joining the board at an exciting time for the marine industry,” he said. “Having worked in this wonderful sector for over 20 years, I look forward to providing support to British Marine helping to develop and grow our incredibly diverse industry.”
In addition to the new board members, Lyndsay McClay, currently commercial manager for Marine Industry News, has been elected as the new President-Elect.
She will serve as president-elect for two years from July 2024 before assuming the role of president in July 2026.
“Since I joined the industry in 2015, I’ve aimed to support the amazing people who are the backbone of our sector,” she said. “I’m really looking forward to working with our president, chair, fellow board members and the entire British Marine team to drive success and innovation for the whole industry.”
