Leadership shift at Safe Boats International as CEO transitions
SBI’s team Rob Goley, Tom Gumpert, Cindy McFarland and Christer Bradley (l-r)
Safe Boats International (SBI), which designs and manufactures aluminium boats for military, law enforcement, fire and rescue, and other first-responder and commercial applications is changing its company’s leadership and organisational structure.
The 100 per cent employee-owned company says that Richard Schwarz is transitioning from CEO into a consulting and advisory role. This means he’ll still contribute to key strategic initiatives and long-term planning and SBI will benefit from his institutional knowledge well into the future.
SBI will adopt a new cooperative leadership model. Day-to-day operations of the company will be led by four longtime SBI executives: Rob Goley as chief revenue & customer officer; Christer Bradley as chief operations officer; Tom Gumpert as chief financial officer; and Cindy McFarland as chief people officer.
The leadership team will be guided and supported by a chief executive board led by company founder Scott Peterson.
“Our people have always been the heart of Safe Boats,” says Peterson. “This structure reflects who we are – collaborative, customer-focused, mission-driven, and united by the pride of employee ownership. With this leadership team and this model, we’re positioning Safe Boats for a strong and innovative future. It honours our history while giving us the agility and shared perspective we need for continued success.”
This announcement comes as Safe Boats prepares to celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2026 which it says will celebrate three decades of innovation, craftsmanship and dedication to customers around the world. Its full range of boats can be seen in the gallery on its website.
