Marine marketplace NextBoat announced that it appointed Ross Tannenbaum chief executive officer, succeeding Brian John, who will remain on the board of directors to support the transition.
Tannenbaum previously was president and CEO of Dreams, a publicly traded sports licensed products and memorabilia company, and joined Fanatics following its acquisition of Dreams in 2012, where he held senior executive roles through 2019, including president of retail and collectibles.
“This is a defining moment for NextBoat,” president Jason Ruegg said in a press release. “We have built something truly unique: a public, technology-driven marine platform with the ability to buy, sell, finance and service boats at national scale. Ross is the leader we believe can unlock the full potential of that platform.”
Ruegg added that Tannenbaum shares the company’s focus on “disciplined execution, sustainable profitability and long-term shareholder value.”
“NextBoat has the assets, the brands, the technology and the entrepreneurial culture to become a truly important company in the marine industry,” Tannenbaum said in the release. “This is a highly fragmented market, and NextBoat is building an integrated platform capable of making the entire experience faster, smarter and more efficient for boaters, brokers, dealers and lenders.”
Headquartered in Wilmington, N.C., NextBoat operates across boat brokerage, wholesale inventory acquisition, auctions, financing and marine services. The company includes Autograph Yacht Group and Azure Funding.
