Kris Carroll came up through the ranks at Grady-White Boats, starting as a production control clerk in 1975 and eventually was promoted to vice-president of engineering and manufacturing in the late 80’s.  In 1993 Kris was promoted to president of Grady-White Boats.  She was the first woman to ever hold this position in the boat manufacturing industry.

Kris has led Grady-White to the front rank of the industry through her steadfast belief in putting the customer first, and through building a great management team.  Under her guidance, Grady-White’s mission of customer satisfaction is achieved through building one-to-one customer relationships.  Focus on customer satisfaction for Grady-White is proven by the fact that Grady-White has been ranked at the top of customer satisfaction surveys in every third party measure of customer satisfaction ever done in Grady’s categories in the marine industry; this includes 11 top rankings from the National Marine Manufacturer’s Association (NMMA) and the highest ranking in every marine study done by J.D. Power and Associates.

Kris and her top managers consistently demonstrate their belief in team-building within the Grady-White organization of employees, dealerships and vendors. They relentlessly encourage the achievement of the company’s vision of “together, delivering the ultimate boating experience.”

Carroll holds active leadership roles in the industry and her community; she is currently serving on the board of the NMMA, the board of the Center for Coastal Conservation, and is on the board and Advisory Council of the Boat Owners’ Association of the Boat United States (Boat U.S.).   She is past chairwoman of the NMMA Boat Manufacturers’ Division Board.  Kris’s ability to assemble and inspire the best managers, her steadfast beliefs, and her hard work continue to set quite an example for the entire industry.  Kris is a former board member of Pitt County United Way and has a heart to help those who struggle, actively supporting many initiatives for those in need in the community.