Andrew Parkinson joined IYBA as executive director in September 2026, bringing more than 20 years of brand, content and organizational leadership, most of it in the global marine industry.

Most recently, Parkinson was editorial director of the Sail Group at Firecrown Media, and editor-in-chief and head of brand at Cruising World, which he transformed from a legacy print title into a multichannel business. He previously held editorial leadership roles at Passagemaker, Yachts International and Southern Boating.

Parkinson also knows the industry from the transaction side. A former licensed yacht broker and dealer at Merritt Yacht Brokers and Denison Yachting, he held his license under FYBA, IYBA’s predecessor, and understands firsthand how brokers, dealers and manufacturers work together.

He began his career in PR and marketing, first as an account executive at the Miami agency The Weinbach Group, managing integrated campaigns for clients in healthcare, education and municipal government, and later leading a corporate rebranding initiative at the Tribune Company.

While technically a Fort Lauderdale native, Parkinson grew up on the southern Connecticut shoreline, where he learned to sail 420s and Flying Juniors with his high school sailing club and cruised Long Island Sound with his family aboard a Hunter 31.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and completed the Poynter Institute’s MPA Executive Development Program. He is based in South Florida.