MOVERS & SHAKERS FINALISTS

General Manager , Sales & Marketing , Suzuki Marine USA

Over the past few years , Brandon Cerka has assumed the mantle of leadership at Suzuki Marine USA from his friend and mentor George “ Gus ” Blakely ( a past Boating Industry Mover & Shaker Finalist ).

However , boating – and Suzuki – has been a part of Cerka ’ s life from very early on . Cerka grew up in the panhandle of Texas on what was essentially a private lake , where his dad owned the sole boat dealership .

“ I think I was 6 years old when my dad brought on Suzuki outboards ,” Cerka said . “ And I always remember the Suzuki rep coming in and I was like ‘ that ’ s the coolest job anyone can have ,’ traveling all over and doing all of these awesome things with boating .”

When Cerka ’ s father decided to sell the business in the early 2000s , he pivoted from a plan to take over the family business and went back to school . Following that and after a brief stint in education as a teacher , the job he admired as a kid – the district sales manager in Texas for Suzuki Marine – happened to be open and Cerka went after it .

“ It almost felt like a homecoming of sorts ,” Cerka said . “ After seeing my name , I was immediately asked if I had relation to my dad , and I ’ ve just been happy to be working hard and climbing the ranks here ever since .”

Cerka and his family

Cerka has become the face of Suzuki Marine , speaking at major press events and product launches , representing the brand at key international boat shows , boat builder meetings and events like Boating Industry ’ s Elevate Summit , American Boating Congress and directing the company ’ s critical sales and marketing initiatives during what can only be described as unusual market conditions .

While some might call it a transitional period , Cerka has already been “ steering the ship ” at Suzuki Marine for some time , developing many of the programs that have positioned the brand for

Cerka and his family

Cerka checking out some Suzuki Marine outboards on the water .

success today and in the future . And in impressive fashion , Cerka has reached this level at the age of 44 . And with a drive to continue bringing a sense of youth to the marine industry and more specifically Suzuki Marine , he has initiated a “ youth movement ” of sorts at the company by finding and recruiting new young talent .

“ Sometimes it happens that you ’ re just in the right place at the right time ,” Cerka said . “ It felt like all of the sudden there was this young kid who came in and was on the map . And I ’ m sure some were like ‘ who is this ?’ but I felt I was ready and at that right moment of being able to impact the marine industry and our brand together .”

Cerka ’ s aggressive business strategy has helped Suzuki Marine experience solid growth over the past year , gaining new dealers , new boat builder partnerships and exponentially greater sales ― all while facing challenging market conditions and a tough overall economy . And Cerka ’ s ascension has resulted in many important changes at Suzuki Marine , including dozens of new hires across all departments . “ New blood ,” new energy and fresh ideas can be found in sales , service , technical support , marketing , accounting and more , all a result of Cerka ’ s motivation to think outside the box .

“ Every day is a grind ,” Cerka said . “ It doesn ’ t matter what position you ’ re in , grind every day and you ’ ll get to where you want to be and push those around you to do the same , bringing success to everyone .”

18 october 2024 www . boatingindustry . com