Who was your hero as a child? I wouldn ' t say I had a childhood hero in the traditional sense, but for me it was always my parents. I grew up watching their work ethic, how they raised my sister and I, and how they handled challenges and opportunities. That had a bigger impact on me than any public figure. What are some of your favorite non-boating hobbies? Snowmobiling and snow skiing. Why should young professionals choose a career in the marine industry? Simply the enjoyment it brings. This is an industry centered around people ' s free time, their families and some of the best memories they will make in their life. Being part of that is rewarding in a way most other industries aren ' t. It ' s fun, engaging and no two days are the same. At the same time, it offers real opportunity- whether in sales, service or operations- so you get the benefit of building a strong career while being part of something you can enjoy!
BRYAN WALLACE
PRESIDENT, NAUTICAL BOAT CLUBS
What first drew you to the marine industry? The ability to positively impact people’ s lives through boating. There is something extraordinary about the feeling of being on or even near the water. Being able to share that joy with others is a gift I don’ t take for granted. What was your first job? My first job on the water was at YMCA Camp Tockwogh teaching water skiing. When you see the look on a kid’ s face the first time getting up on water skis, there’ s nothing like that feeling. What accomplishments are you most
proud of? The people I work with and what we do every day. As cliché as that sounds, I don’ t know of many organizations that have brought up so many people from working on the dock cleaning boats and greeting members to being owners of small businesses. It is something truly special I get to be a part of. Did you have any key mentors or influences in your career? Unequivocally, the largest influence has been my wife, Leland Boisseau. She was the one who encouraged me to make a change and pursue something that truly brought me joy, and she has stood by my side through the entire journey. Within the boating industry, Tom Gardiner, our CEO, has had the largest professional impact on my career. He’ s shown me that it’ s possible to grow and operate a business at scale while still holding onto the values of a family business. As a young professional, what are the biggest challenges you’ ve faced in the marine industry and how did you overcome them? I’ ve found the biggest challenge to be scaling the business without losing the culture that made it successful. Sometimes we focus on processes so much that it can overshadow the most important thing: relationships. Every time we add technology or process the big question is“ how does this help us support our relationships with our members, marinas, boat dealers, manufacturers, etc. through this process” Those connections are everything to us, efficiency without excellent service and experience goes against our culture.
How do you hope to inspire others in the marine industry? Two things come to mind for me. First, serving others by helping the people around me achieve their goals, even when they don ' t further my goals. Sometimes we need a reminder that we ' re all in this industry together, and our successes depend on one another. Second, making sure we properly steward the waterways. Everything we do depends on healthy, respected waterways, so I believe it’ s our responsibility to protect them for the next generation of boaters. How do you set goals for yourself and set yourself up for success? I like to keep it simple and only focus on one or two goals at a time, there is a lot of noise out there, so the Eisenhower Matrix helps ranking things on urgency and importance, keeping a focus on the ROI for all the stakeholders of our business. What boat did you learn to boat on? The Unsinkable Legend- 17’ Boston Whaler Montauk. Where is your favorite place to go boating? I’ ve been so lucky to go boating at so many incredible places, but I’ ll go with the Chesapeake Bay Eastern Shore. Who was your hero as a child? My grandfathers, James Wallace and William Braxton. They both taught me the ability to treat everyone with respect and how to serve others first. The two greatest men I ' ve ever met in my life. What are some of your favorite nonboating hobbies? Spending time at the ice rink, on the baseball field, basketball court or really any sport with my sons, Sadler and Braxton. I’ m not sure you’ re allowed to have other hobbies as a parent. Why should young professionals choose a career in the marine industry? The marine industry offers something you don’ t find in many careers- the chance to build a profession around something that genuinely makes people happy. Every day you’ re helping families and friends create memories on the water. On top of that, the industry has seen significant investment and innovation over the past decade, which means the opportunities for young professionals today are much greater than they were even ten years ago.
38 march 2026 www. boatingindustry. com