MDL strengthens leadership team to support major growth strategy

We have appointed Daniel Chown as Financial Director and Sophie Kirkpatrick as Head of Sales and Marketing, strengthening our senior leadership team as we enter a major new phase of investment and growth.

The appointments come as we launch a multi-million-pound 2026/27 growth strategy designed to reinforce our position as the UK’s leading marina group. With major capital projects planned across the portfolio, we are investing in both our infrastructure and our leadership capability to support long-term development.

Daniel Chown joined us late last year as Finance Director, bringing 19 years of senior finance experience across multiple sectors. In his role, Daniel is responsible for financial strategy, forecasting, governance and operational efficiency, ensuring robust financial oversight as we deliver our ambitious investment plans.

Sophie Kirkpatrick joins us as Head of Sales and Marketing, bringing senior leadership experience across the leisure, tourism and hospitality sectors. She will lead the sales and marketing strategy, focusing on long-term brand building, customer acquisition, retention and loyalty, product development and revenue growth across our marinas, holiday parks and gym brands.

Sophie’s background in destination-led leisure businesses and premium customer experiences closely supports our ambition to position our marinas as vibrant waterfront destinations. Most recently, she led sales and marketing for The Hut, an acclaimed high end beachside restaurant on the Isle of Wight, where she delivered brand expansion, CRM transformation, pricing strategy and large-scale events, successfully attracting international leisure and yachting audiences and driving commercial growth.

The new financial year marks the start of a substantial investment programme, with the first phrase of capital projects planned at five key marinas. The programme includes four new waterfront restaurants, upgraded berth holder facilities, specialist berthing for narrowboats and jet skis, building refurbishments and improved parking across several locations.

Across our wider portfolio of 19 marinas, we will continue our pontoon renewal programme and roll out the Meter MACS system to improve electricity supply for berth holders. At Ocean Village Marina, we will maintain our focus on premium superyacht berthing. We will also launch our Leadership Academy and Career Pathway programme to support colleague development. Alongside these initiatives, we are working with one of the UK’s leading branding agencies to refresh the brand, placing greater emphasis on our heritage, prime locations and strong customer community.

We are delighted to welcome Daniel and Sophie to the business at such an important time for MDL. As we invest significantly across our marina network, it is vital that we have strong financial leadership and clear commercial direction. These appointments ensure we are well positioned to deliver our growth strategy while continuing to provide outstanding facilities and experiences for our customers.

Together, these appointments reflect our commitment to long term investment, strong governance and delivering outstanding experiences for berth holders, visitors and partners across our marina network.