Suzuki Marine Executive Brandon Cerka Named 2026 Mover and Shaker of the Year
Suzuki Marine USA’s Executive Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Service, Brandon Cerka, has been named the 2026 Mover and Shaker of the Year in the October issue of Boating Industry. The recognition follows a 14-year career at the company marked by promotions, expanded responsibilities, and a focus on unifying sales, service, and marketing under a single operational umbrella.
Cerka’s rise to executive leadership at age 45 stems from his track record in expanding sales, market share, and industry reputation despite economic headwinds, tariffs, and inflation. Following early successes in restructuring sales and marketing processes, Cerka took over service operations, leading to his promotion to executive vice president in early 2026. He views these departments as an interconnected ecosystem, noting that the ownership experience relies heavily on unified product support.
To strengthen dealer readiness and product reliability, Cerka spearheaded several major educational and operational initiatives. The Suzuki Marine University Program was established to train expert technicians through centralized classes in the Northwest, Midwest, Northeast, and Southern regions, alongside sessions at the purpose-built Training Center at the company’s Tampa, Florida headquarters. Additionally, the Suzuki Ultimate Rigging Installer Program sets standardized requirements for installing, inspecting, and delivering outboards to ensure optimal performance and customer satisfaction.
These rigorous standards enabled Suzuki Marine to offer up to seven years of warranty coverage on new motors when properly installed by trained authorized dealers or boat builders. Customer support was further bolstered by the implementation of T.R.A.C., a troubleshooting framework standing for Test, Review, Analyze and Correct, backed by a dedicated Techline designed to intervene when issues are not resolved within an hour.
Operational metrics reflect the impact of these initiatives. Suzuki Marine reports that 74% of customer relations issues are resolved on first contact, returned or denied warranty claims have dropped by 10%, and direct calls to the Techline increased by 10% year-over-year. Furthermore, the company expanded its dealer service network capabilities through a partnership with Fuel 1 Direct announced in April 2026, which provides participating dealers with zero-capital-investment portable fueling stations to offer sustainable, ethanol-free marine fuel.
Beyond technical support, Cerka has cultivated a youth movement within the organization, recruiting dozens of young professionals to positions at the Tampa headquarters and the Panama City, Florida U.S. Technical Center. Outside the marine sector, Cerka engineered an exclusive marketing partnership with the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, positioning Suzuki Marine as an official sponsor and gate sponsor at Raymond James Stadium to introduce boating to a broader audience.
Cerka aims to maintain this momentum by focusing on long-term partnerships and continuous support. Emphasizing that service remains the core driver of customer retention, he intends to keep refining dealer relations and ownership satisfaction as the company looks toward future growth.
