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Oak Bay Marine Group promotes chief operating officer to CEO

The Oak Bay Marine Group has named chief operating officer Brook Castelsky as its new chief executive officer.
Brook Castelsky
Brook Castelsky is the new chief executive officer of Oak Bay Marine Group. VIA OAK BAY MARINE GROUP

The Oak Bay Marine Group has named chief operating officer Brook Castelsky as its new chief executive officer.

The appointment is a promotion for Castelsky, a 21-year employee of the company who has overseen several of its operations and spearheaded projects that have helped Oak Bay Marine Group become Vancouver Island’s largest marina, hospitality and attractions company.

Castelsky’s positions have included general manager of the four fishing resorts at Northern Resorts in Haida Gwaii, and the company’s Painter’s Lodge Resort.

He was also GM of Cape Santa Maria Beach Resort, the company’s boutique resort and real estate development in the Bahamas, where the resort achieved Trip Advisor’s No. 1 resort in the Bahamas and No. 5 resort in the Caribbean.

Castelsky was later named the company’s vice-president of resorts, and promoted to chief operating officer for the last six years.

The company recently renovated and reopened its Oregon state attraction, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! World of Adventure, despite the global pandemic, and is in the final stages of renovating and expanding its 400-slip Ladysmith Marina.

“I am thrilled that the company has placed its trust in me to lead the team forward. It really is an amazing company fuelled by the ability and desire to deliver unforgettable experiences in oceanfront settings,” said Castelsky. “We have some exciting plans for this coming year and beyond, and I look forward to continuing to serve our customers in partnership with the local and indigenous communities where we operate.”

Founded in 1961 by local entrepreneur Bob Wright, the Oak Bay Marine Group employs 150 people — 70 in Canada, 10 in Oregon and 55 in the Bahamas. It owns and operates four marinas and an RV resort on Vancouver Island, along with two restaurants, the Ripley’s attraction and the resort and real estate development in the Bahamas, and manufactures boathouses out of its facility in Ladysmith.

dkloster@timescolonist.com