BoatsDirect.com Appoints Dario Medina Director of Operations and John Velez Director of Operations Technology

Business Wire, June 23, 2000

Business & High Tech Editors

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 23, 2000

BoatsDirect.com, the leading online new boat retailer, announced today that Dario Medina has been named director of operations, and John Velez has been named director of operations technology. BoatsDirect.com is the first Internet-based boat retailer that enables consumers to review, research, price, finance, insure, order, purchase and arrange delivery of a new boat.

"We are pleased to welcome Dario and John to the BoatsDirect.com team," said Dan Jennings, president and CEO of BoatsDirect.com. "Both will play important roles in maintaining and enhancing the services and technologies that provide BoatsDirect.com's customers with the ultimate online environment for buying boats and related equipment."

Dario Medina

Medina was previously with MetLife, where he was a process engineer in the Institutional Business E-Commerce unit. Medina assisted in the development of a comprehensive e-commerce strategy integrating 12 product groups at MetLife. From 1995 to 1997, he was with Motorola Cellular Service, Inc., in Libertyville, Ill., as a senior account coordinator.

Medina received an MBA in management systems in 1999 from Fordham University's Center for Advanced Management Studies of the Graduate School of Business, where he was enrolled in the Deming Scholars Honors Program. He received a BS in accountancy from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1995.

John Velez

Velez was previously president of Process Management Group, Inc., a management-consulting firm based in Ashland, Oregon. Engagements included facilitating the corporate strategic-planning process and implementing internal improvement projects and R&D initiatives for a wood-products manufacturer, and providing broad strategic, operations, marketing and technology support for a start-up manufacturer of three-dimensional laminated components.

From 1993 to 1995, Velez was a process engineer with Rollprint Packaging Products, Inc., in Addison, Illinois.

Velez received an MBA in management systems in 1997 from Fordham University's Center for Advanced Management Studies of the Graduate School of Business, where he was enrolled in the Deming Scholars Honors Program. He received a BS in mechanical engineering from the College of Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1993.

About BoatsDirect.com

BoatsDirect.com is the leading Internet retailer for new boats. The company's objective, product-neutral Web site provides great prices and a full-service purchasing environment that enables consumers to research, price, finance, insure, order, purchase and arrange delivery of a new boats. BoatsDirect.com is a privately held company headquartered in Santa Monica, Calif. June 23, 2000