NextBoat has appointed Ross Tannenbaum as chief executive officer, effective immediately. Tannenbaum succeeds Brian John, who will remain on the board of directors to support the transition.
Founded in 2012 as Off The Hook YS, NextBoat operates across boat brokerage, wholesale inventory acquisition, auctions, financing and marine services in the US. Its businesses include Off The Hook Yachts, Autograph Yacht Group and Azure Funding.
In May 2026, the company completed a corporate rebrand to shift from a traditional yacht brokerage model into an AI-driven sales ecosystem.
The company is headquartered in Wilmington, North Carolina, and reports US operating values of $57bn.
Tannenbaum previously served as president and chief executive officer of Dreams, a publicly traded sports-licensed products and memorabilia company. He joined Fanatics following its acquisition of Dreams in 2012 and held several senior executive roles at the company through 2019, including president of retail and collectables through 2018.
“This is a defining moment for NextBoat,” says Jason Ruegg, president of NextBoat. “We have built something truly unique: a public, technology-driven marine platform with the ability to buy, sell, finance, and service boats at national scale. Ross is the leader we believe can unlock the full potential of that platform.”
Tannenbaum says NextBoat operates in a “fragmented market” and is developing an “integrated platform” covering several parts of the boat buying and ownership process.
“NextBoat has the assets, the brands, the technology, and the entrepreneurial culture to become a truly important company in the marine industry,” says Tannenbaum “The opportunity is enormous. This is a highly fragmented market, and NextBoat is building an integrated platform capable of making the entire experience faster, smarter, and more efficient for boaters, brokers, dealers, and lenders.
“Everything I’ve learned through this process only reinforces my conviction that the foundation is here. Now our focus is execution: strengthening the core business, driving profitability, and scaling what works. I am thrilled to lead NextBoat into this next phase.”
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