It’s been a great honour to be part of the RYA history over this last 4 years, and in turn becoming the youngest ever board member in its 150 years. As we celebrate this milestone I am honoured once again to be asked to stand for a further term and to contribute further.

As a little refresher, my name is Duncan Rutherford based in the North West, married to Caroline – with whom I celebrate our 10-year anniversary in late 2025 – and together we have two young sons; Theo (8) and Finn (5). In 2021, when I first asked to be considered for the board, I said I hoped they would join my lifelong passion for sailing and am pleased to say they have both absolutely embraced being ‘Together on Water’ taking on everything from paddleboarding, dinghy sailing and flotillas in that time – as well as being excellent swimmers!

As in 2021, I remain hugely passionate about getting people - of any age, any ability, any location, and any background - onto the water to experience the joy, freedom, and exhilaration it brings. I sought to bring that passion, alongside skills and experience gained from my unique and varied career, to help the RYA and its board deliver on their mission statement and deliver real change – which in recent years we’ve made strong progress on.

My background

Having left college, I pursued a Diploma in Marine Surveying, specialising in Yachts and Small Craft with the IIMS. While working in a full-time role for a large energy firm, I was able to form a partnership with my father to cover a wide area of the North West surveying a range of vessels. I gained first-hand experience of the passions, and challenges, that boat-owners in both the Inland Waterways and coastal settings shared.

Outside of work I had a real passion for music and online businesses and started my own venture in the entertainment sector in 2001. Looking back now this was the start of my current career as this gave me both a foundation in digital expertise, as well as insight into managing an end-to-end business in uncertain times.

I made the decision in 2007 to join an organisation (then called dabs.com) that had recently been bought by BT. My role evolved from Product and Category Management roles, before becoming eCommerce Lead. Over the years that followed I led a range of key projects for both our customers, and our people – giving me extensive experience in the leadership needed to support major change.

In 2017 I led the online technology retail business teams (BT Shop) which delivered 5x revenue and profitability growth, before in 2023 evolving it under the EE brand as part of a major investment in New Markets for the brand – and as of September 2025 I lead the Marketing & Commercial teams for all things Tech & Gaming across our Consumer brands.

How do I relax?

Alongside time with my family and getting on the water, I love music, hiking in the Lake District and Scotland, 5-a-side football, squash & padel, craft beer and the odd dram of whisky!