THE TEAM

Dorton was named CEO of Invincible Boat Company in July 2019 upon its purchase by EagleTree Capital. No stranger to boating operations both large and small, Dorton was previously CEO and co-founder of HeyDay Boats.

Under his leadership as CEO of MasterCraft Boats from 1999-2012, the company became the dominant brand in waterski and wakeboard boats. Dorton’s vision to embrace athlete sponsorships in the action sports era made MasterCraft a household name with anyone tuning into the X Games, including aspiring wakeboarders. Evolving with the progression of the sport, Dorton played a pivotal role in launching the brand’s famous “X-Star” model in 1996.

Dorton has also served on multiple Boards of Directors for Icon Aircraft, the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) vice chairman of the Boat Manufacturer Division (BMD) and as director for both the Water Sports Industry Association and World Wakeboard Association. Away from the factory, Dorton is a renaissance outdoorsman who can be found either on horseback, fishing for bass, or chasing sailfish offshore.

Throughout his career, Thomas has built and transformed organizations, creating long-term value by focusing on operational excellence. His knowledge, along with his inclusive approach to leading and building high performance teams enables him to take our brands to the next level. In 2020, Thomas joined Invincible Boats as COO to lead the company’s operations and initiate its global manufacturing strategy.

Prior to joining Invincible Boats, Thomas spent five years as President and COO at ICON Aircraft, taking the ICON A5 (a recreational light-sport aircraft) from vision and prototype into serial manufacturing. Before that, he worked eight years for BRP (Bombardier Recreational Products) setting up and overseeing a new manufacturing facility for Sea Doo watercraft and Rotax engines in Queretaro, Mexico.

As a native of Germany, Thomas started his professional career in the automotive industry. He held different manufacturing and leadership roles while working for Mercedes-Benz for five years.

Thomas shares his passion for sports and the outdoors with his wife and three daughters. Boating and fishing have risen to the top of the activity list for the Wieners family.

Prior to joining Invincible Boat Company in May 2020, Needles served as CFO of United Enertech in Chattanooga, Tennessee. From 2013 to 2017, Jeff was the CFO at Schnellecke Logistics USA, a German based automotive 3PL that provides sequencing, module & welding assemblies, transport, supply, warehousing and packaging logistics. While at Schnellecke, Jeff oversaw their U.S.-based operations for both Mercedes and Volkswagen.

From 2009 to 2013, Jeff was Director of Financial Planning & Analysis at MasterCraft Boat Company where he oversaw the acquisition and financial integration of Hydra-Sports Boats (now called HCB Yachts) from Genmar. His career began at Harley-Davidson Motor Company’s Vehicle and Powertrain Operations in Kansas City, Missouri and Harley’s corporate headquarters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

On the weekends, Jeff can be found teaching his son how to fish and dreaming of Imo’s pizza, hometown favorite of his from St. Louis, Missouri.

He is quoted in Unsinkable: The History of Boston Whaler saying: “If a boat company stops product development, it’s dead.” A man of his word, Wood has never stopped. In his time at Invincible, Wood has overseen new generations of consoles, t-tops and seating across our product line as well as the implementation of new options. Wood also introduced the 42’ Open Fisherman, 42’ Center Cabin and then the 40’, 37’, 35’ and 46’ Catamarans.

At Invincible, she leads Production, Quality and Supply Chain and has been tasked with applying modern efficiencies and manufacturing best practices to the marine industry.

Verónica appreciates the simple joys in life. She is passionate about experiencing new cultures, staying active and devoting time to family and friends. Being a foodie and dog lover, she is enjoying embarking on the exciting world of boating and fishing.

Cordes joined Invincible in 2010 after leading sales at Contender. Still in its infancy, Invincible saw tremendous growth upon Cordes’s arrival. His first branding campaign with the company: “One Ride” is the basis of the Invincible difference. With superior design, research and fit and finish, one ride is all it takes to differentiate Invincible from competitors. A father of four, Cordes and his family can be found diving for lobsters in The Bahamas or catching sailfish when school is out.

Previously with Brunswick Corporation, Dorton served in multiple roles in marketing, product development, engineering and business development. In 2017, he was named to Boating Industry’s list of 40 Under 40 industry leaders. The move to Brunswick came after the acquisition of HeyDay Boats, a builder Dorton co-founded in 2015 and served as president.

He cut his teeth in marine manufacturing, where he was involved even in his childhood. Dorton was a stagehand for the unveiling of several major product launches and interned each summer from 2007-2012. His first job after college (and winning a national championship in wakeboarding) was in process engineering under the tutelage of Scott Wood, Invincible’s current Senior VP of Engineering. Similarly to Scott, Ben has introduced more than 20 new boat models so far in his career.

An avid outdoorsman, Dorton is a member of The Wildlife Society and is involved in their fisheries preservation effort. A father of two, Dorton has taken to the local fishing scene since moving to South Florida entering sailfish tournaments and diving for lobster.

Having a strong industrial background and experience in multiple fast-paced and specialized environments such as automotive and aerospace, Emilio has held key leadership positions throughout his career including as chief of staff and plant manager in the U.S. and Mexico. Part of that experience involved testing the products themselves, with his first time out fishing with Invincible being reminiscent of training colleagues to pilot PWC’s.

Emilio is a passionate and active ultimate frisbee player who has qualified for the world championships twice so far. When not working, you can find him happily throwing the disc or mahi fishing with the team.

Birdsall founded the European Wakeboard Tour, the only fully independent cash prize International series for the sport. He worked alongside the International Waterski and Wakeboard Federation for more than 30 years supporting and running waterski and wakeboard events worldwide. For his efforts, Birdsall was awarded International Waterski and Wakeboard Federation’s “Order of Merit” in 2013.

Between 2013-2016, Birdsall developed the international sales and marketing strategy for Numarine, a Turkish manufacturer of exclusive motor yachts. When Birdsall is not on a boat logging miles off the Atlantic coast of Europe or in the Mediterranean, he can be found on a motorcycle on the Isle of Man.