Port 32 Marinas names new CEO
PORT 32 Marinas, LLC (PORT 32) Chairman and Fireside Investments Founder, Jonathan Langer, recently announced the appointment of Austin Schell as CEO of PORT 32 and as a member of the company’s board of directors.
Based in Charleston, South Carolina, PORT 32 is an owner, operator, developer, and acquirer of coastal marina assets. PORT 32 presently owns eight marina properties in premier markets across both coasts of Florida.
The company recruited Schell to build PORT 32 Marinas into an industry leader, drawing on his twenty years of professional experience building three sector-leading companies in a variety of industries. By leveraging commercial thinking and best practices from both inside and outside the traditional marina industry, the team Schell has assembled at PORT 32 aims to provide leading waterfront experiences that create value for PORT 32 members, and in turn, its shareholders and employees.
Prior to joining PORT 32, for six years, Schell was the President and COO of XOJET, the largest on-demand private jet services platform in North America. His other senior executive roles include COO of Modern Fertility and CFO of Wildlands. Prior to his experience building businesses as an operating executive, Schell served as a private equity investment professional at Parthenon Capital in San Francisco, California and began his career in investment banking at UBS Investment Bank in New York City, New York.
“Austin comes to PORT 32 after helping to build three successful companies across different industries,” said Langer. “His proven ability to build a winning team, cultivate a customerfocused culture, and deliver industry-leading returns to investors is tailor made for PORT 32’s next phase of growth. I am confident Austin will ensure that PORT 32’s growing membership base will enjoy the exceptional level of service they have come to expect. In addition, Austin has quickly assembled an entrepreneurial team of high-character professionals to identify promising coastal marinas to add to the PORT 32 family.”
“I am thrilled to join the PORT 32 Marinas team and bring my business experiences to an industry I am passionate about,” said Schell. “Over the course of my career, many people have encouraged me to ‘do what you love.’ I think that is a nice aspiration, but practically not possible for most people, who are simply trying to make a living and provide for their families. For the first time in my life, I can honestly and gratefully say that I am doing what I love as the CEO of PORT 32 Marinas.”
Schell is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia. When he’s not working, he enjoys spending time with his family on the water boating and offshore fishing.