KENNESAW, GA – January 6, 2015 – Yamaha Watercraft Group, a division of Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., today announced that Dean Burnett, former Vice Presidentfor Yamaha Marine Group, has accepted the position of President of Yamaha Watercraft Group, which oversees the sales, marketing and distribution of Yamaha WaveRunners® and Sport Boats.
Effective January 23, Burnett succeeds Mark Speaks, who is leaving the company to pursue other opportunities.“It is a huge honor to follow Mark Speaks as President of the Watercraft Group,” said Burnett. “I’ve watched how fast our WaveRunner and Boat product lines have expanded over the years, achieving some of the fastest growth within Yamaha Motor, and I look forward to leveraging my decades of experience in the marine industry in these exciting, high growth markets.”
“Leading the growth of these business units has been a tremendous experience for me. We have amazing products and people. And now with the addition of Dean, we just added one more,” said Mark Speaks. “I had been looking for the right time to step away to pursue other opportunities, and I feel the time is right with our current group of employees, a strong position and demand for our products, and with the appointment of Dean who is the right person to continue the incredible growth trajectory we have experienced.”
Burnett began his career with Yamaha in 1987 and spent four years in sales and marketing roles for the company in the California market. After leaving Yamaha in 1991, Burnett held sales, management and marketing positions with Boston Whaler®, GradyWhite®, Fenwick® Fishing Tackle, Mercury® Marine, and Yamaha-owned Skeeter®Boats.
