city with one infant and a pregnant wife . Over the years , I saw how he was admired and adored by so many people for his kindness , work ethic and goodwill . He taught me patience , respect , responsibility , humility and loyalty . Family always comes first .
Alex Kavanaugh
President , Brownell Boat Stands
What first drew you to the marine industry ? I grew up around the water in Massachusetts . I learned to sail on a Rhodes 19 , and learned powerboat handling on a 1960s 13-foot Whaler , both stereotypical New England boats . I was always drawn to a water-based career , and went to college for ocean engineering . I worked on a research ship during college and grad school , then for an underwater robotics company for several years . Neither was the right fit , and still in need of a paycheck , I started working in the factory at Brownell , a business my father had bought a few years earlier . I did some basic production operations and some new product development . It didn ’ t take long to figure out I had found my place , and I ’ ve been here ever since . What was your first job ? I started as a junior sailing instructor in the summer , then moved to instructing full time in the summers during college . I loved it and I think it must be the best job I ’ ve ever had – on the water from 8 to 4:30 every day , watching kids sail around . Can ’ t beat it . What accomplishment are you most proud of ? Personally , the child my wife and I welcomed in January of 2021 . After a month in the NICU , our lovely Lane is all caught up and is an awesome little lady who loves being on the water , whether on the boat or just at the beach . Professionally , it is helping navigate Brownell through the pandemic , especially in the early days when there were so many unknowns and so much stress . We managed to keep our people safe , while still delivering for our customers . Did you have any key mentors or influences in your career ? First , my father . He has been a business owner and local business leader his whole career and has earned a well-deserved reputation as a smart businessman , while still being a good and generous guy . He cares about the business and , more importantly , the employees , and I am lucky to work with him . Second , we have been working for a few years with a lean manufacturing consultant based in RI , called Paul Cary . He has helped us make huge strides in improving our operation . Paul ’ s style of leadership and management , and his ability to connect with people , is inspiring . I have struggled with this , and having Paul as a guide has been a gamechanger . How do you hope to inspire others in the marine industry ? I want our success in the industry to show people that there is still value in building and selling quality products made in the States . I hope our commitment to and investment in our workforce and new facility will show that there is a future for companies like ours , not only as domestic suppliers , but as exporters representing American manufacturing around the world .
Jenny Keisu
CEO , X Shore
What was your first job ? My first professional job was as a business lawyer at the leading Nordic law firm Mannheimer Swartling . What accomplishment are you most proud of ? Being a member of the founding team of Europe ’ s largest impact fund , Summa Equity , is something I am very proud of . When I left Nordic Capital to start Summa Equity in 2015 , just after the UN Sustainable Development Goals were announced in connection with the Paris Agreement , no private equity impact investors existed and we really trailblazed the private equity industry . Whilst partner and CEO at Summa Equity , we greatly increased awareness around impact funding , and we did not only channel a great deal of funding towards both impactful and game-changing companies , we also inspired a whole industry and proved that it was possible to make great returns by investing in impact . This is something I want to do in the boating industry as well . To prove that it ’ s possible to create an as good or even better boating experience , that is also sustainable . Since I started building X Shore into what it is today when I joined as CEO in 2019 , my greatest accomplishment to date is the launch of the X Shore 1 ; the newest - and most affordable - of X Shore ’ s crafts that is helping pave the way towards an all-electric boating future . Did you have any key mentors or influences in your career ? I have always tried to have several mentors and conversations for external support . One mentor I had from the start of my career was Per-Arne Håkansson , former C-level executive at Maersk and Munters . I have also been connected with Helene Willberg , former stockmarket auditor and CEO of KPMG who currently serves on X Shore ’ s board , for 10 + years now and I ’ d like to think that we have been mentoring one another throughout this time . I believe in learning from others which I very much bring to X Shore as well . We believe that partnership is the new leadership . Who was your hero as a child ? Tony Stark . The billionaire industrialist , founding member of the Avengers , and the former CEO of Stark Industries . A brash but brilliant
www . boatingindustry . com march 2023
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