Jean-Philippe MASLIN

Associé/Partner, Richemont Delviso

I am a lawyer qualified in French and English law.

I advise on the litigation and transactional aspects in insurance, maritime and yachting, commercial and employment disputes.

Katie Thornton

Crewing Superintendent, Al Seer Marine

Leena Chauhan

Fleet Crew Manager, Al Seer Marine

Karen Passman

Founder and Owner, Impact Crew, Founder of Raising the Bar

Karen has extensive experience developing managers, leaders and professionals, through facilitation, training, coaching and assessment. She has a passion for developing people which is evident in her positive, enthusiastic and supportive style of delivery. She has consulted across a broad range of industry sectors, both in the UK and abroad. Karen’s aim is:- “to create a relevant, enjoyable and highly participative event, which gives you practical tools that are truly valuable in the work place”.

Karen’s expertise traverses the maritime industry and corporate world, where she provides management and leadership development as well as team building and coaching to a wide range of clients. In 2007 Karen launched Impact Crew with the specific purpose of providing development for Crew, in the unique challenges that working and living aboard create. Karen is determined to provide professional leadership development for the Maritime Industry that also meets corporate expectations. To this end she has also become involved in the design and delivery of the MCA HELM (human element, leadership and management) and IAMI GUEST Leadership courses.

Founder of Raising the Bar.

Tim Clarke

Director & Captain Consultant, Quay Crew

From 2006 to 2007 Tim was lucky enough to spend two years as a deckhand on MY Sai Ram and MY Leander, two excellent charter yachts. After leaving yachting, Tim moved up to London for a career in recruitment. Tim worked predominantly in the Finance and Accounting sector supplying senior staff to a variety of clients including Barclays, HSBC, Goldman Sachs and Thomson Reuters.

Quay Crew was set up in 2013 to provide a different recruitment service to yachts. Tim looks after the Captain roles whilst managing the team which is now 8 strong. One of the things Tim loves about his role is offering career and mentoring advice to Captains and senior Deck Officers. He also enjoys writing yachting related blogs which attempt to educate and guide crew in their chosen career.

Nicola Morgan

Director, Wilson Halligan

Marianne Danissen

Camper & Nicholsons

Marianne spent over 10 years at sea sailing on various yachts as mate then later as chief engineer. She speaks English, Dutch, French and German fluently and considers herself as a world citizen. She is very passionate about her time at sea and loves crossing the Atlantic to work during busy charter seasons in the Caribbean and owner trips in the Mediterranean.

Marianne spent numerous years in the engine rooms of motor and sailing yachts, during which she has developed a true passion for engineering.

In 2003, she started as an assistant in the Camper & Nicholsons yacht management division and pursued her career in the maintenance and compliance of yachts under management. She swiftly became a specialist in ISM & ISPS compliance, an area in which she became the manager for many years.

Furthering her knowledge, she also became one of the few certified ILO trainers in the application of the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 in the yachting industry. She is highly interested in any new regulations which affect yachts in general and seafarers alike.

She passed on her compliance responsibilities of the division in 2013 and moved to the senior fleet manager’s position, looking after a large fleet of yachts.

In early 2019, she became the head of yacht management and manages the entire team – a job she also does with passion and dedication.

Always involved in teaching and making people grow, Marianne likes to encourage personal development for all in the industry.

Outside of work, Marianne loves spending time outdoors. She is a keen hiker, kite surfer and takes time to go sailing when possible.

Captain Luca Triggiani

Italian Yacht Masters Association

John Cook

Managing Director, ILO certified trainer of MLC inspectors, Visiting Lecturer at the WMU

John is the Managing Director of Lesia Employment Services ICC Limited, based in Guernsey, which started life in November 2010. Previously, in 2003, John formed the first company to offer employment services to the yacht industry. He has retained the knowledge he gained when working for HMRC, especially in the area of social security.

He was part of the MCA’s Large Yacht Sub-Group and instigated the PYA visit to the ILO offices in Geneva in February 2010 and worked with the Seafarers International Research Centre at Cardiff University in drafting the PYA qualitative survey for yacht crew.  He is an ILO certified trainer of MLC inspectors and regularly runs MLC training sessions on yachts and for yacht sector companies, and is a frequent speaker at yacht seminars and conferences.

John is also a Visiting Lecturer at the World Maritime University in Malmo, Sweden.

Louise Gallimore

Crew Manager, Northrop & Johnson

I am an experienced recruiter with 20 years experience working within the superyacht industry, placing crew onboard yachts ranging from 20 to 150 meters worldwide.

From the UK originally, following university, I spent time working in London before moving to Australia in 2000. In 2004 I moved to Antibes and joined a maritime company initially working in the training department before transferring to crew recruitment in 2005.

In 2022 I joined Northrop & Johnson, tasked to establish a European division of their Crew Services department and for the past year have seen the department grow from strength to strength.

Kayleigh Liddell

Crew Services Manager, Hill Robinson

Kayleigh brings nearly a decade of expertise in Human Resources, Quality, and Recruitment to Hill Robinson. With a rich background in establishing HR frameworks for international startups, she has successfully shaped policies and welfare initiatives for employees. A dedicated advocate for gender equality, Kayleigh co-founded WorkmATe, a social enterprise supporting young women in STEM education. Through networking events and mentorship programs, she connected over 200 women with valuable opportunities in both employment and education.

In her transition to the yachting industry, Kayleigh seamlessly integrates her passion for fair employment and welfare culture from land to sea. As Crew Services Manager, she is dedicated to placing crew members at the forefront of the conversation, embodying Hill Robinson’s commitment to providing an exceptional employment experience.

John Wyborn

Director, Bluewater

John Wyborn 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.  John and his fellow directors started Bluewater in 1991, a company specializing in yacht brokerage, charter, and management as well as crew recruitment and training.

He is President of MYBA (the worldwide yachting association), 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.

As Director of Training at Bluewater, John is heavily invested in the training of crew.

Captain Anthony Romel Silva

Superyacht Captain, M/Y Wellesley

Tim Colston

Superyacht Fitness

Joey Meen

Director IAMI GUEST, President Superyacht Alliance for Professional Standards

Chris Frisby

Director of Training and Operations, UKSA

With over 20 years in the maritime sector, specialising in the yacht training scheme. Passionate about people development and keenly aware of the importance of Continuous Professional Development (CPD), vast experience of delivering tailored training and guidance. From entry-level crew to seasoned masters, a wealth of experience, contributing significantly to the growth and proficiency of maritime professionals worldwide.

Leila Nafa

Sales & Marketing Manager, Cornerstone Crew Payroll

Following 8 years working on yachts and having my own business within the industry. I decided to further my skill set in Sales and Marketing for Cornerstone Crew Payroll. Cornerstone is based in The Isle of Man and is an independent Crew payroll company lead by professionals who understand the importance of support and service to our clients. We operate a simple but comprehensive payroll system easing the burden of owners, captains and yacht managers.

Gracija Matijevic

Founder at Crew Pages, Managing Partner at A+ Yachting

Gracija is a skilled professional in the maritime industry, with over a decade of experience as a crew onboard a superyachts.

Alongside his onboard career, he founded A+ Yachting, a multiple times awarded family yacht support business, based in Croatia and Montenegro.

Driven by an entrepreneurial spirit and a desire to revolutionize crew recruitment, He embarked on a new journey as the founder and managing partner of Crew Pages.

Gracija believes in equal job opportunities for everyone, regardless of their background or location, and Crew Pages embarked on a journey to provide free access to all maritime jobs at one place.

With Crew Pages, Gracija has transformed the way crew members connect with potential employers. His innovative platform not only makes the hiring process easier but also provides a valuable resource for newcomers to the industry.

Through his leadership, vision, and unwavering dedication, Crew Pages and A+ Yachting continue to thrive, leaving an indelible mark on the maritime industry.

Captain Kevin Flynn

Growing up in Eastern Canada, and after graduating with a bachelor degree in Industrial Engineering from a Canadian university, Kevin worked with international manufacturing companies in many progressive positions from manufacturing engineering, sales and marketing, through to business management. Throughout his career, he has lead teams of personnel in varied disciplines from the manufacturing floor to the boardroom.

In 2005, Kevin chose to switch careers and parlay his love of the sea, and engineering and business training to the yachting industry. Kevin holds a Master (Yachts) < 3000 GRT, spending most of his yachting career in the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Bahamas, and East Coast USA. Most recently, Kevin was the captain of a busy dual season private/charter yacht, Yacht Che, the world’s 3^rd largest sailing catamaran.

Martyn Gray

Director of Organising, Nautilus

Vincent Huens de Brouwer

Partner – Yacht Insurance Broker, Covership

Joanna Drysdale

Director, Underwriting Services, MHG

Joanna is the Director of the Underwriting Services team at MHG Insurance in the Isle of Man where she has been specialising in yacht crew insurance for 12 years.

An advocate for crew mental health and wellbeing, Joanna volunteers with the steering committee for Yacht Crew Help, a resource for yacht crew in distress which is run by International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN).

Mathieu Henry

WYCC

Mathieu provides employee benefits in Yachting, Shipping, Cruising and Expats since 2005. 

He has extensive knowledge of the MLC and international social security regulation for seafarers.

His expertise allowed to promote the WYCC insurance products through a worldwide network of insurance brokers.

Lorenzo Ranieri

Partner, PG Legal

Lorenzo Ranieri is a partner at PG Legal.
PG Legal has an extensive expertise in dismissals and matters of labor law connected to seafarers and has, several times, assisted owners willing to dismiss a member of the crew for sexual-related causes. PG Legal is able to assist the owner in all steps of the disciplinary procedure and of the actual dismissal.

Emma Deal

Director of Account Management, MedAire

Having joined MedAire in 2010, Emma has worked with Captains, Owner representatives and Yacht Managers to provide solutions to manage the medical, safety and security risks associated with yachting.

A keen sailor herself, Emma is passionate about the support MedAire can provide to clients and is an advocate for improving access for crew to medical and mental health support onboard.

In her current role, Emma oversees the Global Account Management Team, ensuring that clients’ changing needs continue to be met and helping clients to understand, assess and mitigate risks to enable happy, healthy and safe crew and guests.

Emma is based in Hampshire, UK.

Christophe Bourillon

CEO, PYA

Prior to joining the PYA, Christophe was Executive Director of the World Federation of Science Journalists. He offers a 25-year experience in senior management, public affairs and communication at the national and international levels. He founded and led various industry associations, such as Wind Europe and drove other organizations through major transformations such as the World Nuclear Association, the European Biofuels association and the European robotics association. He held senior management positions in larger organisations, such as Pechiney/Alcan (now Constellium) and logen.

He has been active on the international policy-making scene and was an accredited expert to the United Nations. He participated in the negotiations of the UN Convention on climate change for more than fifteen years.

Paul Rutterford

Operations Director

As Operations Director of Viking Crew, Paul can use his wide experience and knowledge of the Cruise and Maritime industry to continually enhance the placement and crewing teams. Paul has been working in industry since graduating, having first joined P&O in 1997. Since 2000 he has travelled extensively throughout the world for Swan Hellenic, including Antarctica, the Far East, Middle East, India, as well as all corners of Europe, South America, and the Caribbean. Paul is no stranger to Viking, having spent a year working as part of the Recruitment team prior to returning to sea as Deputy Cruise Director in 2008.

Now firmly back on dry land and with Viking since 2011, Paul’s wide experience and knowledge of the maritime industry means he has a solid understanding of what both our clients and candidates require and in turn the challenges that this exciting industry has to offer. This makes him an excellent asset to the team here at Viking.

Liam Dobbin

Managing Director, Wilson Halligan

Over ten years in Recruitment for Superyachts, co Owner of Wilsonhalligan since 2015, and 9 years Merchant Navy. During my time with the merchant navy, I worked on various commercial ships, some temp work on a cruise ship, obtaining a C/O Unlimited. I have some temp experience as 2^nd Officer on a 95m+ yacht. Currently, I am on various MCA panels and groups for MLC and yacht certification. Over the years I have been engaged as a consultant for new builds in regarding to crewing. Building teams and acting as a sounding board for Captains is a real privilege.

After 10 years in recruitment, I still really enjoy engaging with crew and current work purely with placing Captains and supporting our recruitment team of 10.

Cally Cooper

Performance & Wellbeing Coach, Wellcrew

Cally Cooper is a performance and well-being coach with a diverse background, encompassing experiences such as being mentored by members of the SAS and Armed Forces in high altitude training and challenges, alongside working in the fields of physical, nutritional, and mental health. As a certified coach and master NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) practitioner, Cally offers a unique perspective to supporting the well-being of individuals in the super yacht industry.

Cally focuses not only on developing high-performing teams and individuals but also on crew retention. She provides support, coaching, personality profiling, and resources to nurture and develop crews, underscoring her commitment to creating a positive and thriving environment within the super yacht industry.

Captain Rod Hatch

PYA

Michelle Chance

Employment Partner, London, HFW

Michelle Chance is an employment partner and Head of the London Employment Practice. She has over 20 years’ experience advising on complex and sensitive employment matters, which often involve discrimination and where the stakes in terms of monetary value and reputational risk are high.

Michelle’s specific yacht experience includes advising on the impact of sanctions on potential employment claims of unionised crew members; drafting seafarers employment agreements and settlement agreements on the termination of employment of senior crew members; and advising on and updating employment policies and procedures for crew members in the light of an International Human Rights At Sea investigation into claims of bullying and harassment.

Simon Grainge

Chief Executive, International Seafarers' Welfare & Assistance Network (ISWAN)

Tina Barnes

Impact Director, Seafarers Charity

Glen Taylor

Superyacht Fitness

Glen has a track record of establishing and leading successful businesses, driven by his passion for making a positive impact in the industry. His work is a testament to his dedication to discovering innovative and impactful solutions that cater to the physical, mental, and emotional health of those on superyachts. This dedication led Glen to launch Superyacht Fitness in April 2023, a venture that transcends the mere design and installation of world-class gyms on yachts (although they do this very well!). The core mission of Superyacht Fitness is to effect a meaningful improvement in the wellbeing of those onboard yachts.

With 18 years of experience in the superyacht industry, Glen’s expertise positions him as a pivotal figure in promoting wellness within this unique sector. His commitment to enhancing the quality of life for those onboard is reflected in every facet of Superyacht Fitness, underscoring his vision of fostering a healthier, more vibrant community at sea.