MDL Marinas has appointed Daniel Chown as Financial Director and Sophie Kirkpatrick as Head of Sales and Marketing, strengthening its senior leadership team as the business enters a major new phase of investment and growth.
The appointments come as MDL launches a multi-million-pound 2026/27 growth strategy designed to reinforce its position as the UK’s leading marina group. With major capital projects planned across the portfolio, the business is investing in both its infrastructure and its leadership capability to support long-term development.
Daniel Chown joined MDL 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 MDL delivers its ambitious investment plans.
Sophie Kirkpatrick joins MDL 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 MDL’s marinas, holiday parks and gym brands.
Sophie’s background in destination-led leisure businesses and premium customer experiences closely supports MDL’s ambition to position its 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 the wider portfolio of 19 marinas, MDL will continue its pontoon renewal programme and roll out the Meter MACS system to improve electricity supply for berth holders. At Ocean Village Marina, the company will maintain its focus on premium superyacht berthing. It will also launch its Leadership Academy and Career Pathway programme to support colleague development. Alongside these initiatives, MDL is working with one of the UK’s leading branding agencies to refresh the brand, placing greater emphasis on its heritage, prime locations and strong customer community.
James Barnes, Managing Director of MDL Marinas, said: “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 MDL’s commitment to long term investment, strong governance and delivering outstanding experiences for berth holders, visitors and partners across its marina network.
For more information about MDL Marinas, visit www.mdlmarinas.co.uk.
