NextBoat Inc. (NYSE American:NXB) has made two leadership appointments, adding Zebulon Hadley as an independent director and naming Todd Bates vice president of Finance & Insurance (F&I). The Wilmington, North Carolina-based company announced the changes on September 4, 2026.
#Zebulon Hadley joins the board
Hadley will chair NextBoat’s Compensation Committee. He is President and CEO of National Coatings, Inc., a commercial painting and industrial coatings contractor that he acquired in 2016.
NextBoat said National Coatings has grown to roughly $39 million in annual revenue. Hadley has also founded, acquired and expanded other businesses during a 20-year entrepreneurial career. He received the Triangle Business Journal’s 2025 CEO of the Year award.
Hadley said he plans to apply his experience with the Entrepreneurial Operating System, organisational alignment and process development to accountability, governance and execution at NextBoat. He also said he would work on structures and incentives supporting the company’s people and long-term strategic objectives.
#Todd Bates takes finance and insurance position
Bates joins NextBoat after more than a decade in F&I leadership at one of the nation’s largest marine retail groups. In his most recent position as Corporate Director of Finance, he increased F&I revenue by more than $5 million while sales volume remained flat across 80 locations.
His previous experience also includes serving as a Business Manager at a single dealership, where the company said he raised F&I revenue from $600,000 to $2.4 million.
In comments about the appointment, Bates said he intended to bring his experience and customer-focused approach to the company’s boating operations and work on its customer experience.
#NextBoat business background
NextBoat describes itself as a vertically integrated, technology-driven marine marketplace and one of the largest buyers and sellers of used boats in the United States. The company says its activities include boat brokerage, wholesale inventory acquisition, auctions, financing and marine services.
Its ecosystem includes Off The Hook Yachts, Autograph Yacht Group, Azure Funding and proprietary lead-generation platforms. Founded in 2012 and previously known as Off The Hook YS Inc., NextBoat says it operates across the United States and is headquartered in Wilmington, North Carolina. The company identifies the U.S. marine industry as a $57 billion market.
#Forward-looking statements
NextBoat said its announcement includes forward-looking statements concerning its business strategy, technology platform, market opportunity, planned operations and expected results and benefits. The company cautioned that these statements involve significant risks and uncertainties, and that actual results, performance or achievements may differ materially.
The company also stated that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. It directed readers to risk factors in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.
#Key Takeaways
- Zebulon Hadley has joined NextBoat’s Board of Directors as an independent director.
- Hadley will chair the Compensation Committee.
- Todd Bates has been appointed vice president of Finance & Insurance.
- Bates brings more than a decade of F&I leadership experience in marine retail.
- NextBoat said the appointments support its board governance and F&I leadership as it operates across the U.S. marine sector.
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