Boats Group hires Jack Haines to lead content and video expansion

Marine journalist and boat reviewer, Jack Haines, has joined global online boating marketplace, Boats Group, to lead the company’s content expansion and video output.

Haines brings more than 15 years of hands-on sea trial experience and deep editorial leadership and will drive Boats Group’s expansion of original, independent media presence across video, editorial, and social channels.

Haines joins Boats Group –  the company behind Boat Trader, YachtWorld and boats.com – following a standout tenure as reviews director at YachtBuyer, where he established himself as one of the industry’s most trusted voices.

Courtney Chalmers, chief brand and communications officer at Boats Group comments: “We have tremendous growth and engagement with our content, and that gives us an opportunity to invest even further in what we know boat buyers value. Jack brings deep experience testing boats and understanding what buyers really want to know about them. Adding that expertise to an already strong team will allow us to create even more valuable content for consumers while giving builders and manufacturers more ways to engage buyers during the research and discovery process.”

Over his career, which also includes serving as deputy editor at Motor Boat & Yachting, Haines has rigorously evaluated hundreds of vessels, building a devoted following among boat buyers, owners, and industry insiders.

Haines’ expertise will strengthen Boats Group’s collaboration with boatbuilders and manufacturers. Through immersive digital formats, video features, and social storytelling, Haines will help brands introduce new models and share the engineering stories behind their vessels directly with buyers actively researching.

“What drew me to Boats Group is the opportunity to take high-calibre, independent boat testing and scale it on a global stage,” says Haines. “Boaters want an authentic, hands-on perspective; they want to know how a boat actually behaves on the water and what sets it apart in a crowded market. I’m excited to join a team that has already built such a strong audience and find new ways to bring that kind of insight to even more boaters.”

The appointment forms part of Boats Group’s ongoing investment in expanding its dedicated video and social media programming.

The Miami-based company recently announced the appointment of OpenAI executive Brandon McGraw as a non-executive director on its board.