MANAGING THE UNMANAGEABLE - FUNDAMENTALS OF YACHT MANAGEMENT
The expectations placed on yacht management can vary significantly, from owner to captain, while a common sentiment is resistance to management itself. How can we enhance the perceived level of service? And is there a need to elevate our professional standards?
Speakers
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Mark Kruidenier holds a B.Sc. degree in Naval Architecture and a Postgraduate Diploma in Executive Maritime Management.
He is a principal surveyor/ lead auditor for ISM, MLC, ISPS, ISO9001, ISO14001, ISO45001, ISO50001 and Business Development Manager/ Key Account Manager at DNV Maritime with his main focus on Business Development.
Mark has worked for DNV since 2005 and was located as an expat in Korea between 2014-2016.
He is currently based in Rotterdam/ Marseille.
When not at work I enjoy spending time outdoors and with the family.
John Wyborn is a co-founder and director of Bluewater, a yacht brokerage, charter and management company and a provider of crew training and placement services to a large proportion of the yacht crew population.
He is a board member and ex-President of MYBA (the worldwide yachting association), is on the board of the Professional Yachting Association (PYA) and is a board member of the International Association of Maritime Institutions (IAMI).
He is Chairman of IAMI’s influential Small Ship subgroup. John also sits on the board of both the Merchant Navy Training Board and the Maritime Skills Alliance. He joined the Royal Navy as a seaman officer after university and served on various types of vessels including frigates, destroyers, and finally in command of HMS Mentor; a navigation and seamanship training vessel teaching RN trainees and foreign navies.
Truly effective yacht management requires a multi-disciplinary skill set. As stakeholders in the industry, yacht management has a key responsibility to provide continuity throughout the lifecycle of the yacht with it’s changes in Ownership, Captain/Crew, Flag/Class, location/jurisdiction and multitude of service providers each with their own role to play and an agenda not necessarily aligned with the overall best interests of the yacht operation. We need to ensure an effective transition from shipyard to operational status with relevant historical data tracked, recorded and passed on for each component of the operation. We need to understand banking, insurance, VAT and fiscal implications, employment and HR processes, safety and Flag State compliance, technical, technological and communication trends, emergency response preparedness and a psychological approach to mental health and harassment issues.
With 29 years in the industry and a wide range of experience and exposure to yacht operational challenges and industry experts, Russell is keenly aware of the importance of asking the right questions and sense checking the responses in the context of the big picture and the best interests of the yacht.
A qualified Captain, Marine Surveyor and member of the Nautical Institute with over 100 onboard audits and technical inspections carried out on a global fleet ranging from 35m to 135m carrying bespoke machinery and operational systems as well as project management and oversight for large refit periods for high profile clients, Russell has had the good fortune to be involved with all of the moving parts and many layers of complex operations and can draw on experience and working examples to ask the right questions.