Prominent boat dealer names new leader

CLEARWATER — MarineMax CEO Bill McGill has turned over control of the Clearwater-based boat retailer to his son Brett McGill.

According to a press release, the elder McGill, who founded MarineMax in 1998, will remain active with the company as executive chairman of its board.

Brett McGill first joined MarineMax in 1998 and had been serving as president and COO of MarineMax — the nation’s largest boat and yacht retail chain — since October 2017, according to the release.

"Brett’s vast experience, including successfully leading the company’s operations for the past several years, has positioned him well to become the next leader of MarineMax,” MarineMax board member Joseph Watters states in the release. “His passion for understanding our customers and their needs has contributed meaningfully to the company’s accomplishments. He has done an outstanding job building a team that shares his passion. We are confident that his experience, leadership skills and knowledge will serve us well.”

The tenure of Bill McGill, 73, drew high praise from Watters, who states in the release, "We thank Bill McGill for his 20-plus years leading MarineMax as its CEO from our formation more than 20 years ago to the industry leader MarineMax is today. Bill will remain an integral part of our future in his new role as executive chairman and will help to ensure a seamless transition, while focusing on our strategies.”