Telematics company Boat Fix yesterday announced that it hired Carl Blackwell to fill the newly created chief marketing officer position. Blackwell previously served 17 years as the National Marine Manufacturers Association’s chief marketing officer and spent nine years as president of Discover Boating.
“Carl’s marketing experience, extensive industry knowledge and firm grasp of the power of telematics makes him an ideal addition to our team,” Boat Fix CEO Steve Pitsos said in a statement. “Investing in the expansion of our organization with senior talent like Carl will allow us to continue to develop solutions that shape the future of our industry.”
Most recently, Blackwell was senior vice president of Customer Loyalty for OneWater Marine.
“I spent nearly two decades focusing on recruiting new participants into boating, and now with the industry’s attention turned toward customer retention, I believe Boat Fix is well-positioned to lead the industry in retaining the surge in new boaters,” Blackwell said in the statement. “Over the last year in my most recent role, I’ve researched and met with many of the industry’s best telematics companies. … What stood out for me about Boat Fix was that instead of just monitoring and protecting boats, they can assist boaters, live and one-on-one, when problems arise. If I’m stranded on the water, I really need a partner I can count on. That peace of mind is essential to keeping boaters engaged.”
