Industry Pathway
Session 6
Wednesday, Dec. 9, 8:30 - 9:15 am
The Talent Advantage: Attract, Develop, Compensate & Keep Great People
With Doug Sexton
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Finding and keeping great people has challenged marine dealers for decades, but the competition for talent is changing. An aging workforce, slower labor-force growth and intense demand from adjacent industries mean dealerships are no longer competing only with the dealer down the road.
In this session, V20 Recruiting + Consulting President Doug Sexton will combine current workforce trends with lessons drawn from 18 years of industry recruiting and thousands of candidate and employer conversations.
Attendees will also get a first look at V20's new Marine Retail Compensation Guide, built from proprietary industry data. Beyond salary numbers, the session will examine what candidates value, why good employees leave, how expectations and onboarding affect retention, and practical steps dealers can take to attract, develop and keep stronger teams.
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Identify labor and demographic trends making it harder for marine dealers to attract and retain skilled employees.
Benchmark dealership compensation and opportunity against competing employers and adjacent industries.
Apply practical hiring, onboarding, compensation and retention strategies to build stronger, more stable dealership teams.
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Doug Sexton is President and owner of V20 Recruiting + Consulting, a specialized executive search firm serving the Marine, RV, Powersports, Outdoor Power Equipment and related industries. His marine career spans more than 30 years, including roles with Outboard Marine Corporation, Tracker Marine, Brunswick Boat Group, Larson Boats, Chris-Craft and Godfrey Marine. Doug joined V20's predecessor, Lonski & Associates, in 2016 and acquired the company in 2019.
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