Mercury Marine appoints four new leaders

FOND DU LAC, Wis. – Mercury Marine has appointed four new leaders in its MerCruiser and MotorGuide divisions, the company said in a release yesterday.

Dave Rowland has been selected as director of operations for Mercury’s Plant 14 in Stillwater, Okla., home to Mercury MerCruiser. He is assuming a role currently held by Rick Estus, who is moving to outboard manufacturing operations in Fond du Lac, Wis.

Rowland is currently general manager of MotorGuide, Mercury’s trolling motor business in Tulsa, Okla. He joined the company in 1996 as director of global sourcing for Mercury. He was promoted to general manager of Mercury Canadian operations before assuming his current role in 2002.

“Under Dave’s leadership, MotorGuide has become a growing, profitable business,” the company said in its release.

Mike Phillips, who has been vice president of sales and marketing at MotorGuide since 2002, will replace Rowland as general manager of MotorGuide. He joined Mercury in 1995 and has held a number of marketing leadership positions. Before joining Mercury, Phillips held several sales and product management roles at Proctor and Gamble.

Mercury veteran Denny Sheller is assuming the role of vice president of sales for Mercury MerCruiser. Sheller has been with Mercury since 1983 and has held a series of leadership roles in sales and marketing. He has been vice president of marine strategy since 2003.

Mike Kreder, director of strategy and business development for Mercury, is assuming the role of director of product management and product marketing for MerCruiser. The company said Kreder has been instrumental in developing Mercury’s strategic direction and process improvements for ongoing business-development activities.

Kreder joined Mercury in 2003 after a series of strategy and engineering roles with leading companies such as Baxter Healthcare, General Motors and Deloitte and Touche Consulting.

“These leadership changes have occurred as part of the natural cycle in our business,” said Jim Hubbard, Mercury vice president and chief of staff. “As people move through the organization, new opportunities arise, and we are fortunate to have a deep and talented management pool that allows us to adjust to these changes.”

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