NextBoat Strengthens Board and Revenue Leadership to Power Its Next Phase of Growth
NextBoat adds an independent board member and a new F&I leader to bolster governance and revenue capabilities for its next growth phase.
Rhea-AI Summary
NextBoat (NXB) appointed Zebulon Hadley to its Board of Directors as an independent director and chair of the Compensation Committee, and named Todd Bates as Vice President of Finance & Insurance (F&I), effective with the company’s ongoing transition into a more mature public company.
Hadley is President and CEO of National Coatings, which he acquired in 2016 and has grown to roughly $39 million in annual revenue, and has founded, acquired, and scaled several businesses over a 20‑year entrepreneurial career. As Compensation Committee chair, he aims to reinforce accountability, governance, execution, and incentive structures aligned with long-term objectives.
Bates brings more than a decade of F&I leadership at a large marine retail group. As Corporate Director of Finance, he previously increased F&I revenue by over $5 million on flat sales across 80 locations, after earlier growing a single dealership’s F&I revenue from $600,000 to $2.4 million. The company states these appointments support its next phase of growth as it seeks to redefine how boats are bought, sold, and financed nationwide.
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Key Figures
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | 24h Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 13 | 2Q26 earnings | Negative | -4.3% | Quarterly loss and higher expenses outweighed revenue and gross-profit growth. |
| Aug 04 | Earnings scheduling | Neutral | +5.2% | Company scheduled second-quarter results and its associated conference call. |
| Jul 16 | Operating update | Positive | -3.7% | Preliminary record performance and progress toward quarterly profitability were announced. |
| Jul 08 | Partnership announcement | Positive | +2.7% | MarineMax expanded distribution for financing and insurance offerings through NextBoat. |
| Jul 01 | Partnership announcement | Positive | -6.1% | NextBoat launched a national AI platform rollout with MarineMax. |
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
NXB showed mixed follow-through, with negative reactions after the July 1 partnership announcement and July 16 operating update despite positive operating or partnership news.
Key Terms
independent director regulatory
compensation committee regulatory
f&i financial
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
NextBoat Appoints Zebulon Hadley to Board of Directors and Names Todd Bates VP of Finance & Insurance, Bringing Decades of Combined Industry Experience to the Company
WILMINGTON, NC / ACCESS Newswire / September 4, 2026 / NextBoat Inc. (NYSE American:NXB) ("NextBoat" or the "Company"), a vertically integrated, technology-driven marine marketplace and one of the largest buyers and sellers of used boats in the United States, today announced two strategic leadership additions: Zebulon Hadley joined the Board of Directors as an independent director, and Todd Bates joins the leadership team as VP of Finance & Insurance (F&I).
"As we scale NextBoat into a mature public company, having the right people in the room, on our Board and in our F&I business, matters as much as the deals we close," said Brian John, Chief Executive Officer of NextBoat. "Zebulon brings two decades of building and governing companies at scale, and Todd brings a track record of driving F&I revenue at some of the largest names in marine retail. Both are exactly the kind of experienced additions that we believe this next stage of growth requires."
Zebulon Hadley joined the Board as an independent director and will chair its Compensation Committee. He is President and CEO of National Coatings, Inc., a commercial painting and industrial coatings contractor he acquired in 2016 and has grown to roughly
"I'm excited to join NextBoat's Board at an important stage in the Company's growth," said Zebulon Hadley, Director of NextBoat. "I look forward to bringing my experience with the Entrepreneurial Operating System, aligning people, and strengthening processes to help reinforce accountability, governance, and execution as NextBoat continues to scale. As Chair of the Compensation Committee, I'm also looking forward to helping ensure the Company has the right structures and incentives to support its people and long-term strategic objectives."
Todd Bates joins as VP of F&I, bringing more than a decade of F&I leadership at one of the nation's largest marine retail groups. Most recently serving as Corporate Director of Finance, he grew F&I revenue by more than
"I'm excited to be joining NextBoat because I see a tremendous opportunity to build something special in the boating industry," said Todd Bates, VP of F&I. "My goal is to bring my experience, energy, and customer-focused approach to help grow the company while creating an exceptional customer experience. I'm looking forward to joining the team and helping NextBoat establish itself as an industry leader."
These appointments mark the latest step in building the governance and revenue leadership behind NextBoat's next phase of growth, as the Company works to redefine how boats are bought, sold, and financed nationwide.
About NextBoat Inc.
Founded in 2012, NextBoat Inc., previously known as Off The Hook YS Inc., is a vertically integrated, AI-powered marine marketplace transforming how boats are bought, sold, financed, and serviced across the United States. Through proprietary technology, transaction data, financing capabilities, and a growing national acquisition network, the Company operates across boat brokerage, wholesale inventory acquisition, auctions, financing, and marine services. NextBoat's ecosystem includes Off The Hook Yachts, Autograph Yacht Group, Azure Funding, and proprietary lead-generation platforms. Headquartered in Wilmington, North Carolina, NextBoat is rapidly expanding its national footprint and market share within the
Contact
Investor Relations
ir@nextboat.com
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws regarding NextBoat Inc. ("Company"), including, without limitation, statements regarding the Company's business strategy, technology platform, market opportunity, planned operations, and expected results and benefits. You can generally identify forward-looking statements by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "explore," "evaluate," "intend," "may," "might," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "seek," "should," or "will," or the negative of such terms thereof or other variations thereon or comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words.
These forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current plans, objectives, estimates, expectations, and intentions and inherently involve significant risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control. Actual results, performance or achievements, including the timing of events, may differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements as a result of various risks and uncertainties, including those described under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other subsequent filings with the SEC. Copies of these filings are available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements made in this press release are made only as of the date hereof or as of the dates indicated in the forward-looking statements and reflect the views stated therein with respect to future events at such dates, even if they are subsequently made available by the Company on its website or otherwise. The Company undertakes no obligation to update, revise or supplement any forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, new information, future events, changes in its expectations or other circumstances occurring after the date such statements were made, except as required by applicable law.
SOURCE: NextBoat Inc.
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire
FAQ
What leadership changes did NextBoat (NXB) announce on September 4, 2026?
NextBoat announced that Zebulon Hadley joined its Board of Directors as an independent director and Compensation Committee chair, and Todd Bates joined the executive team as Vice President of Finance & Insurance (F&I), adding experienced governance and revenue leadership to the company.
Who is Zebulon Hadley and what will his role be at NextBoat (NXB)?
Zebulon Hadley is President and CEO of National Coatings, which he has grown to about $39 million in annual revenue. At NextBoat, he joins as an independent director and will chair the Compensation Committee, focusing on accountability, governance, and performance‑aligned incentive structures.
What experience does Todd Bates bring to his new VP of F&I role at NextBoat (NXB)?
Todd Bates has over a decade of F&I leadership at one of the nation’s largest marine retail groups. As Corporate Director of Finance, he increased F&I revenue by more than $5 million on flat sales across 80 locations and previously grew a single dealership’s F&I revenue from $600,000 to $2.4 million.
How do the new appointments support NextBoat’s growth strategy?
The company states that adding Zebulon Hadley to the Board and appointing Todd Bates as VP of F&I strengthens its governance and revenue leadership as it scales as a public company and works to redefine how boats are bought, sold, and financed across the United States.
What type of business does NextBoat (NXB) operate in the marine industry?
NextBoat is a vertically integrated, AI‑powered marine marketplace focused on buying, selling, financing, and servicing boats across the United States. Its ecosystem includes Off The Hook Yachts, Autograph Yacht Group, Azure Funding, and proprietary lead‑generation platforms within the $57 billion U.S. marine industry.