The changeover doesn’t stop at the CEO’s office. David Everitt, Brunswick’s Lead Independent Director, moves into the role of Non-Executive Chairman on the same date.
Foulkes has been at Brunswick for two decades, and there aren’t many corners of the business he hasn’t touched. He was the company’s first Chief Technology Officer, ran the Boat Group and financial services arm, and started out as Vice President of Product Development at Mercury Marine, where he had a hand in the outboard, sterndrive and diesel engine ranges still powering boats today.
“It has been the greatest honour and privilege of my professional life to lead Brunswick Corporation as CEO for the last eight years,” Foulkes said, crediting the wider leadership team and Brunswick’s global workforce for the company’s run through what he called a prolonged period of external turbulence.
On handing over the reins, he was blunt about why now: “One of the most important duties of the CEO is to work with the Board to prepare a successor. I believe the time is right for a transition, and I am extremely confident that Aine is the right person to lead Brunswick on the next stage of its journey.”
Denari isn’t a newcomer to the business. She joined Brunswick in 2020 to lead Brunswick Boat Group, then took on the combined Navico Group and CTO role in 2024. It’s on her watch that Navico brands Lowrance and Simrad have picked up market share, and that AutoCaptain, an autonomous boat docking system the company bills as a first for the industry, made it to market.
Her CV runs deeper than boats. Three decades across automotive, mobility and industrial manufacturing sit behind her, along with a board seat at Masco Corporation and engineering and business qualifications from Stanford, Northwestern, Purdue, the University of Detroit Mercy and University College Dublin.
“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, pointing to the strategy laid out at Brunswick’s 2026 Investor Day as the roadmap she intends to keep following.
Everitt, for his part, framed the appointment as the payoff from years of succession planning by the board. “We are confident Aine is the ideal next CEO for Brunswick,” he said, “and we are excited to work with her as she leads the Company forward to deliver its next phase of growth and success.”
Brunswick’s brand portfolio runs to more than 60 names, among them Mercury Marine, Attwood, Simrad, Lowrance, Boston Whaler, Sea Ray, Bayliner, Lund and Harris. The company employs roughly 14,500 people across 26 countries, out of its Mettawa, Illinois headquarters.
