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
