Interview: D-Marin CCO Dean Smith on Redefining the Marina Experience

With a distinguished career spanning over a quarter of a century, Dean Smith brings unparalleled expertise to his role as Chief Commercial Officer at D-Marin. Since joining the group in 2020, he has been instrumental in driving its growth while placing the customer experience at the heart of every innovation. By bridging the gap between traditional service and modern technology, Dean focuses on positioning D-Marin as a leader in sustainable operations within the yachting sector.

HOW WOULD YOU PRESENT YOURSELF FOR OUR READERS?
As Chief Commercial Officer at D-Marin, I bring over 25 years of experience in the marina and marine sector, an industry I'm genuinely passionate about. Having held senior roles across major marina groups, consultancy businesses, and industry bodies like British Marine, I've had the privilege of seeing this world from many different angles, and that experience really shapes how I approach my role today.

At D-Marin, I'm focused on creating exceptional experiences for our customers at every touchpoint, whether that's the moment they arrive at one of our marinas, how they engage with us digitally, or the long-term relationship we build through our membership offering. 

We welcome over 50,000 customers annually across nine countries, so a big part of my role is working closely with our teams to make sure that as we grow, we never lose sight of the premium standards and personal touch that make D-Marin special. 

HOW NEW TECHNOLOGY HAS THE POWER TO REVOLUTIONISE BOOKING BOAT BERTHING, TURNING IT INTO A PAPERLESS PROCESS?
Anyone who's spent time in marinas will know there are often queues at the office, paperwork to fill out, manual checks to be made, and this is all before you can even think about getting out on the water. It's something I've seen firsthand throughout my career, and honestly, it always felt like an unnecessary barrier between our customers and the experience they came for. 

We did some research and one of the first things we did to understand berth booking frustrations was to carry out extensive research through a third company to understand the pain points throughout the process. This created our roadmap with digital development. Which endeavours to make the experience as effortless as possible.

That's why digitalisation has been such a priority for us at D-Marin. Through our app and online booking system, customers can now reserve their berth, check in, and handle payments before they even leave home; no forms, no queues, no fuss. When they arrive, they go straight to their berth and straight to doing what they love.

Behind the scenes, we've also invested heavily in smart sensors and smart pedestals across our marinas, giving us real-time visibility of berth usage, utilities, and vessel data. 
For me, it all comes back to one simple idea: the less time our guests spend dealing with admin, the more time they have on the water. And that's exactly where they should be!

CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT D-MARIN’S GROWTH TRAJECTORY AND EXPANSION?
When I look at where D-Marin is today compared to where we started, it's genuinely exciting. Founded in 2003, we've grown into a portfolio of 26 marinas across nine countries, offering over 14,000 berths, this includes more than 1,000 dedicated superyacht berths.

This isn't growth for growth's sake. We've invested more than €10 million in transformational technology in recent years, but equally important is the investment we make in our people. The team has had 7000 training hours across all levels and we’ve had 100 people join the team during 2025. 

This is particularly important as every marina we operate has its own character, its own community, its own sense of place; and it's our local teams which protect that as we scale. Getting that balance right, between ambitious expansion and preserving what makes each marina special, is something I care deeply about and something we think sets D-Marin apart.

HOW DO THE D-MARIN APP, SMART SENSORS, AND ONLINE BOOKING HELP STREAMLINE THE MARINA EXPERIENCE?
One of the things we’re really proud of at D-Marin is how we've woven technology into the fabric of the marina experience, not for the sake of it, but because it genuinely makes life easier for our customers and our teams.

The D-Marin app sits at the heart of this. The fact that 93 per cent of our annual berth holders use it regularly tells you everything, it's not something we had to push, people embraced it because it solves real, everyday frustrations. Bookings, contracts, real-time updates, vessel monitoring, it's all there, in the palm of your hand.

What we find especially exciting is how everything connects. With more than 10,000 smart sensors and 2,500 smart pedestals across our premium marinas, everything from electricity and water usage to berth availability is visible in real time, via the app or even a simple QR code. Arrivals and departures that once required paperwork and manual processes now happen seamlessly.

TELL US MORE ABOUT THE NEW LATITUDE MEMBERSHIP.
One of the things we've been most excited to bring to life recently is Latitude, our new membership scheme, which we unveiled at boot Düsseldorf 2026 and have launched initial in Türkiye, ahead of a wider rollout later in the year.

The name itself says a lot about what we were trying to create. Latitude isn't just a geographical term for D-Marin, it helps us represents everyone’s place so they feel like D-Marin is where they belong. That feeling was central to everything we built into the scheme.

For our eligible annual customers, Latitude brings together a range of privileges that go well beyond berthing, from additional 'Happy Berth Days' and extra boatyard days to integrated smart sensors, additional parking, complimentary beach access where available, and a welcome gift box that reflects the premium, personal touch we're known for. It's designed to feel like everything has been thought of, because it has.

CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE CROATIAN PORTFOLIO AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE COMPANY?
Croatia is one of those destinations that simply has it all. With more than 1,200 islands, breathtaking natural beauty, and short distances between destinations, it offers an almost perfect cruising environment. It's the kind of place that stays with you.

What excites us most is how Croatia fits into the bigger picture. Our ambition is to build a truly connected Mediterranean offering, where customers can move seamlessly from one D-Marin marina to another, across countries, and always feel at home. 

In Croatia, we bring this to life through our four marinas: Tribunj, Dalmacija, Mandalina and Borik each offering a distinct experience. With its well-earned reputation as one of Europe’s leading yachting destinations, Croatia sits right at the heart of that vision perfectly embodying what D-Marin stands for.

CROATIA IS THE WORLD’S LARGEST MARKET FOR BARE-BOAT CHARTERS - DO YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC STRATEGY FOR THIS GROUP OF CLIENTS?
Croatia's bareboat charter market is something we find really compelling not just because of its size, but because the gateway through which so many people fall in love with yachting for the first time, and that makes it an incredibly important opportunity for us.

If someone's first experience of marina hospitality is exceptional, that impression stays with them. It shapes how they think about yachting, what they expect from a marina, and ultimately where they choose to return.

But what we find particularly exciting is the longer-term story. Many of today's charter guests are tomorrow's yacht owners, and when that transition happens, we want D-Marin to feel like the natural home for that next chapter. 

Our connected Mediterranean network means that as customers grow in confidence and expand their cruising horizons, we can grow with them, offering the same familiar premium experience wherever they sail.

WE’VE HEARD THAT YOU ARE A BIG MOTORCYCLE FAN - COULD YOU TELL US MORE?
Since I was a child, I’ve always been drawn to motorcycling whether that is racing, exploring or touring. It’s the freedom that it offers that gives motorcycling a similar spirit to being on the water. You need to stay fully present and aware of your surroundings to have the most fun.

I believe having interests outside of work that challenge you in different ways is important. It keeps your thinking fresh and gives you a different perspective and for me, motorcycling does exactly that.