Brunswick CFO sets course in a changing boating market

Brunswick CFO Ryan Gwillim, who joined the company’s legal department in 2011, now oversees finance for Brunswick’s $5 billion marine business and added chief strategy officer to his title in 2024. Brunswick’s portfolio spans boat brands including Sea Ray, Boston Whaler, Bayliner, Lund and Harris, as well as Mercury Marine engines and Freedom Boat Club. The company also operates marine technology brands Lowrance and Simrad. In an interview at Brunswick’s media day at Brooklyn Marina, Gwillim described how Brunswick approaches technology investments that may lack an immediate, easy-to-calculate return. He also emphasized the “one Brunswick” model and gave an example linking Sea Ray’s AutoCaptain with Navico and Mercury systems under the broader ecosystem.