Brunswick CEO Dave Foulkes to Retire, Aine Denari to Step In
David Foulkes will retire as CEO and Chairman of Brunswick Corporation at the end of 2026, with Aine Denari appointed to succeed him as CEO beginning January 1, 2027.
Brunswick Corporation has announced a leadership transition that will see David Foulkes retire from the company at the end of 2026 after eight years as CEO.
Aine Denari, who currently serves as Executive Vice President and President of Navico Group and Brunswick’s Chief Technology Officer, will be appointed CEO effective January 1, 2027. She will also join Brunswick’s Board of Directors.
David Everitt, currently Brunswick’s Lead Independent Director, will also be named Non-Executive Chairman at the same time.
“It has been the greatest honor and privilege of my professional life to lead Brunswick Corporation as CEO for the last eight years,” said Foulkes in a press release. “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 became Brunswick CEO in January 2019 and was later appointed Chairman of the Board in 2025. Foulkes has spent approximately two decades with Brunswick, beginning as Vice President of Product Development at Mercury Marine. Before becoming CEO, he also served as Brunswick’s first Chief Technology Officer and led the company’s Boat Group and financial services businesses, which later became part of Brunswick’s Business Acceleration operations.
“I am very proud of the exceptional organization we have built, the rich culture we have cultivated, and the leadership position we have earned across the recreational marine industry,” added Foulkes. “With the support of my colleagues, I have achieved much of what I set out to do as Brunswick CEO. I am especially grateful to the Senior Management Team, whose individual and collective leadership I consider exceptional and among the strongest in any industry. I also want to thank my family, especially my wife Gillian, whose unwavering support made my professional achievements possible.”
He also said succession planning was among the most important responsibilities of a CEO and that he believed “the time is right for a transition.”
“I am extremely confident that Aine is the right person to lead Brunswick on the next stage of its journey,” Foulkes said. "Aine’s broad skill set as a business and technology leader, her strong commitment to Brunswick’s employees and partners, her deep understanding of the marine industry and her ability to deliver financial results will position Brunswick for continued success."
Denari to Take Over in January
Denari joined Brunswick in 2020 and served as Executive Vice President and President of Brunswick Boat Group. In that position, she led the company’s boat business before moving into her current dual role as President of Navico Group and Chief Technology Officer in 2024. Denari has more than 30 years of experience across automotive, mobility, industrial, and manufacturing businesses. At Navico Group, she has overseen the company's large portfolio of marine electronics including brands such as Lowrance and Simrad. Under her leadership, Brunswick has seen market share gains, strong financial performance, and significant new product development. One of Simrad's most significant recent developments, the autonomous docking system AutoCaptain, marked a turning point in Brunswick's technical capability. Denari also serves as a director of Masco Corporation, where she sits on the company's Board of Directors.
“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,” Denari said in a statement.
"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."
David Everitt, who will become Non-Executive Chairman, added: “This leadership transition is the culmination of the Board’s robust and thoughtful succession planning process leveraging the Company’s talent development work. 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. 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.”
Brunswick currently has approximately 14,500 employees operating across 26 countries. Its portfolio includes more than 60 brands spanning marine propulsion, electronics, parts and accessories, and boat manufacturing. Those brands include Mercury Marine, Simrad, Lowrance, Boston Whaler, Sea Ray, Bayliner, Lund, Harris, and more.
A Period of Expansion and Technology Development
The leadership change also comes after several significant technological developments across Brunswick’s portfolio in the last two years.
In June 2026, Brunswick announced an agreement involving its boats, Mercury Marine propulsion systems and Navico Group electronics for Textron Systems’ TSUNAMI uncrewed surface vessel program. The program followed a contract awarded to Textron by the U.S. military’s Defense Innovation Unit, with the resulting vessels being used by the U.S. Navy Fourth Fleet and U.S. Southern Command. Foulkes described the arrangement in Brunswick’s announcement as an application of the company’s rapidly advancing boatbuilding, propulsion, electronics, and control-system capabilities which could now be applied to autonomous vessels.
Also in June 2026, Brunswick-owned Boston Whaler introduced stepped-hull technology for the first time in the company’s history on the new 290 Outrage and 330 Outrage. It marked the first time Boston Whaler has introduced stepped-hull technology, more than six decades after the company introduced its first foam-filled 'unsinkable' hull construction.
In September, Brunswick’s NAVAN Boats also unveiled its new C38 cabin cruiser for 2027 at the Cannes Yachting Festival. The brand, launched in just 2023, boasts a European design influence paired with Brunswick's propulsion, electronics, and outfitting options.
Foulkes will remain with Brunswick through the end of 2026 before Denari assumes the CEO position on January 1, 2027, with Everitt becoming Non-Executive Chairman.
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