Val Wyatt strengthens its team as it bids farewell to a familiar face

It has been a memorable summer so far, with the glorious weather ensuring our boating community can spend more time out on the water making lasting memories. Behind the scenes, the Val Wyatt team continues to work tirelessly across the marina to deliver the very best experience. As part of this, we wanted to take the time to announce some exciting team developments – and one particularly sad departure.

Welcome Neville Smith

Earlier this month, we welcomed Neville Smith to Willow Marina as our new General Manager.

Neville will play a leading role in the day-to-day running and direction of Val Wyatt. He joins us following a distinguished career that began in the Royal Navy and continued through more than 20 years of senior leadership roles within the meteorology and oceanography sector. He brings extensive experience in operational management, team leadership and customer-focused service delivery.

Known for his calm and approachable style, Neville has quickly become a valued part of the team. Working closely with colleagues across the business, he is focused on building on our strengths, developing our people and helping ensure we continue to deliver the exceptional service our customers have come to expect.

Goodbye and thank you, James

As Neville joins the team, we are also preparing to say goodbye to a familiar face.

After eight years as Sales Manager, James Clifton has decided the time is right for a change of pace and to pursue some personal ambitions and dreams. While we’re naturally sad to see him go, we are entirely supportive of his decision and excited to see what comes next for him.

James has played an enormous role in the success of our business over the past eight years. He has helped countless customers buy and sell boats, represented Val Wyatt at shows and events around the country, and become one of the most recognisable faces of our business. He will be greatly missed by our team, our customers and, of course, the many followers of our YouTube channel.

We suspect the words “Hi, it’s James from Val Wyatt Marine…” will continue to echo around the internet for many years to come.

On behalf of everyone at Val Wyatt, we’d like to thank James for his dedication, professionalism and friendship, and wish him every success for the future.

A well-deserved promotion for Jamie

With change also comes opportunity, and we are excited to announce the promotion of Jamie Goldsmith to the role of Lead Broker.

Many of our customers already know Jamie well. Having spent several years within the business, he has worked across a variety of sales roles and built extensive experience with both new boats and brokerage sales.

As Lead Broker, Jamie will take responsibility for the day-to-day running of our sales department, leading our team of brokers and sales assistants, while continuing to deliver the knowledgeable, approachable service for which he is known.

Supported by Neville and the wider team, Jamie is ideally placed to help us continue strengthening both our new boat and brokerage offerings, and our relationships with our boat builders and partners. We’re excited about the opportunities ahead and confident that our customers will be in excellent hands.

An exciting new chapter

Commenting on the news, Lisa Anacora, Managing Director, said: “Firstly, I want to say a huge thank you to our entire team, whose hard work and dedication, both in the office and out in the marina, have ensured it has been a fantastic summer so far.

“We are delighted to add someone of Neville’s calibre and experience to the business. It is clear that Neville shares our commitment to preserving the values, personal service and sense of community that have always been at the heart of Val Wyatt. I’d also like to congratulate Jamie on his promotion to Lead Broker. It is wonderful to have seen how he’s grown in his roles with us through the years and I know that his passion for boating, his expertise and his approachable nature will stand us in good stead for the future.

“Finally, I want to share my sincere thanks to James. It’s been an absolute pleasure working with him, and Willow Marina won’t be the same without him. We’re all sad that he is leaving the team but look forward to still seeing him out on the water. We all wish him the very best in his next adventures.”