The Marlin Group has announced a new strategic operating model for its international tournament portfolio that combines centralized operational execution with regional tournament leadership. The scalable structure enables recognized experts to lead each event while a centralized operations team ensures consistent planning, execution and sponsor delivery across the portfolio.
“The continued growth of our tournament portfolio gave us the opportunity to rethink the traditional tournament management model,” said David Ritchie, CEO of The Marlin Group. “Rather than asking one person to excel at everything, we’ve built a leadership structure that allows exceptional people to focus on what they do best.”
The group has assembled a best-in-class collection of independent tournament directors, each selected because they are recognized as among the most respected leaders within their respective fisheries.
Bert Merritt will oversee the Los Cabos Billfish Tournament in October. Merritt is widely regarded as one of competitive billfishing’s most accomplished tournament officials. For more than 15 years, he has helped manage the internationally renowned Bisbee’s tournament series in Cabo San Lucas. He has also served as tournament director, registration manager and weighmaster for premier billfish tournaments throughout Florida, Alabama and Mississippi, and is one of the sport’s foremost authorities on the CatchStat tournament management platform — bringing an exceptional blend of tournament administration, technical expertise and operational leadership.
Richard White, champion of the 2024 Offshore World Championship, will assume leadership of the OWC beginning in 2027 — a homecoming for a competitor whose connection to the tournament spans a lifetime, from attending as a child with his family to representing Tropic Star Lodge as a longtime sponsor. A South African native based in Panama, White brings more than two decades of international sportfishing experience and a truly global perspective, having fished and worked in more than 25 countries alongside many of the sport’s most respected captains, lodges and tournament teams. He previously served for nearly a decade as Fishing Director and Lodge Manager at the legendary Tropic Star Lodge, where he managed one of the world’s premier sportfishing operations. That combination of extensive international relationships and firsthand understanding of the event makes him uniquely qualified to lead the sport’s premier international championship.
Laura Dowsett recently assumed leadership of the Hawaii Marlin Tournament Series, bringing unmatched knowledge of Hawaii’s tournament community. Before joining The Marlin Group, Dowsett spent 10 years managing registration for the HMTS under founder Jody Bright, developing an intimate understanding of every aspect of the series and the captains who compete in it. Prior to that, she worked for the Kona Charter Desk, where she built lasting relationships with charter operators, captains and visiting anglers. Her deep roots within Kona’s sportfishing community make her uniquely qualified to preserve the traditions of Hawaii’s premier marlin tournaments while helping guide their continued growth.
Michelle Gaylord previously assumed oversight of both the Bermuda Triple Crown and the Scrub Island Billfish Series. With years of tournament management experience throughout the Atlantic, Gaylord has earned a reputation for delivering professionally managed events while building strong relationships with anglers, sponsors and host destinations. Her attention to detail, professionalism and commitment to the participant experience have helped establish both series among the region’s premier competitive billfishing events.
Each of these directors will receive expert-level support from Kat Haack, recently appointed Director of Tournament Operations. In her new role, Haack will oversee the operational framework supporting every Marlin Group tournament, including event logistics, budgeting, sponsor activation and on-site activations. With nearly 30 years of event management experience, including more than two decades with Bonnier, Haack has developed a reputation for delivering complex, high-profile events with exceptional consistency and attention to detail. Her leadership establishes a common operational standard across The Marlin Group’s growing tournament portfolio while allowing each event to retain its individual identity.
“Together, we’ve assembled one of the most experienced tournament leadership teams in competitive billfishing,” Ritchie added. “Kat provides the operational leadership and consistency that every world-class event requires, while Bert, Richard, Laura and Michelle each bring decades of regional knowledge, credibility and relationships that simply can’t be replicated.”
