New president for Brunswick boat brand

Brunswick Corporation boating brand Harris Boats has named Brian Athmer as its new president.

In this role, Athmer will oversee the entire portfolio of Harris’ premium pontoon models, including the award-winning Grand Mariner and Solstice.

Athmer joined Brunswick in 2022 and most recently led the Program Management Office for Brunswick Boat Group. Prior to joining Brunswick, Athmer worked at Navistar Defense in various roles, including leading product development.

“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to lead the Harris brand and leverage my experience in product development to reach the next generation of Harris consumers,” says Athmer. “With our team’s combined efforts and expertise, I look forward to continuing to deliver the premium, high technology experiences our loyal customers have come to expect from Harris, as well as charting a path forward to define the future of the pontoon boat category.”

Dirk Hyde, president of Brunswick’s Aluminum Boat Group, comments: “Brian is an established leader with a proven track record of delivering results across his previous roles. I’m confident that Brian’s skills and expertise will enable Harris to continue delivering exceptional on-water experiences and lead a new era for Harris leveraging technology, design, performance and automation to elevate the brand to new heights.”

Last month (June 2023), Brunswick had to pause operations following an IT security incident, although it has since reported that it has made progress in restoring its IT systems and will pay its production employees who have been unable to work due to the disruption.