Boats Group (Boats Group), the world leader in online boat sales and a division of Dominion Enterprises, today announced the expansion of its U.K. sales and account management team. Rejoining the company as account manager for key accounts is Nora Gewert-Allen, while Jay Nolan joins Boats Group as regional sales manager for the international market.
Nora Gewert-Allen has a wealth of knowledge and experience in the industry, having previously worked for Lewmar as an OEM account manager. Prior to Lewmar, she led the YachtWorld and Boats.com customer service and account management team. Fluent in four languages, Nora will support Boats Group’s key international clients.
Jay Nolan, regional sales manager
Jay Nolan brings an extensive background in marine marketing and advertising sales to Boats Group. Previously with Yachting World magazine at IPC Media, he worked with a number of key accounts in England, The Netherlands and much of the Mediterranean region and eastern Europe. Prior to that, Nolan was regional manager for SAIL magazine in Boston, covering the northeastern U.S. His additional experience includes a number of years as sales manager of the Strictly Sail boat shows in St. Petersburg and Miami, Fla., as well as in Chicago. Nolan graduated from the University of Vermont with a BSc in international business administration.
The new appointments come at a time of significant growth for Boats Group. In February, Boats Group acquired Cosas De Barcos, the Spanish market leader, further strengthening its presence in the European marketplace. That acquisition further extends Boats Group’s international reach, creating an even stronger platform to continue its geographic expansion.
The European leisure marine market is starting to show signs of recovery, highlighting the need for increased sales support from Boats Group. According to sold-boat data published by YachtWorld, the number of boats sold in Europe increased 10 percent from 3,264 to more than 3,600 this year, compared to the first half of 2013. The value of the boats sold rose 31 percent from €674 million to €884 million. Increased demand was evident in the power sector, with 15 percent more boats sold and total value rising 38 percent to €700 million (source: Soldboats.com).
Ian Atkins, Boats Group president, commented: “We are excited to be growing our sales presence in this territory by welcoming such highly talented and experienced industry professionals. As the international market begins to show signs of recovery, supporting brokers with our online boat sales solutions has never been more important. Nora and Jay’s experience and broad industry connections will provide expertise to support and educate our customers on how best to drive their sales during this period of growth.”