Jean-Philippe Maslin

Associé/Partner, Richemont Delviso Avocats

Dominic Bulfin

Director, Bargate Murray

Christophe Bourillon

CEO, PYA

Prior to joining the PYA, Christophe was Executive Director of the World Federation of Science Journalists.

He offers a 30-year experience in senior management, public affairs and communication at the national and international levels. He founded and led various trade associations, such as Wind Europe and drove other organisations through major transformations such as the World Nuclear Association, the European Biofuels association and the European robotics association.

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. An active speaker, Christophe had delivered more than 300 presentations at conferences worldwide, from United Nations plenary sessions to small village halls in the Arctic.

Karen Passman

Founder, Impact Crew

Karen is the founder of Impact Crew and has extensive’ experience developing managers, leaders and professionals, through facilitation, training, 1:1 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 wide 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 to a broad range of clients. Karen launched Impact Crew in 2007 and is determined to provide high quality leadership development for the Maritime Industry. Karen has designed and regularly delivers the MCA HELM (human element, leadership and management) operational and management courses, as well as PYA accredited courses.

Captain Malcolm Jacotine

John Wyborn

Co-founder & Director, Bluewater

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 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.

Joey Meen

Wolfram Gunther

Fidal

Mathieu Henry

Director, 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.

Amelie de Franssu

Senior Associate / Avocats au Barreau de Paris, Stream Avocats and Solicitors

Amélie has a particular expertise on all aspects of the yachting industry, especially regarding crewing (employment and social security) both in litigation and advisory, especially in international matters. She joined Stream (previously Ince & Co) in 2015.

 Amélie studied law in France, Germany and Canada.

Frederique Heurtel

Partner and Head of Employment Law Department, Stream Avocats & Solicitors

Frédérique is specialised in employment law and advises clients of Stream law, mainly employers, on all their employment law issues. Competent in both national and European laws, her clients are both French and international companies. Frédérique developed an expertise in maritime employment law since she joined Stream in 2017, after advising several shipowners and crew managers on those matters.

Frédérique is a graduate of HEC Paris, ranked 1^st Business School in Europe (Financial Times, 2019) and holds a double degree in management and business law.

Marianne Danissen

Head of Yacht Management, Camper & Nicholsons

Marianne spent over 10 years at sea sailing on various yachts as mate then later as chief engineer. She is very passionate about her time at sea and loved crossing the Atlantic to work busy charter seasons in the Caribbean and Owner trips in the Med.

Marianne spent 5 years in the engine rooms of motor and sailing yachts, during which time she developed a true passion for the engineering. In 2003, Marianne started as an assistant in the CNI Yacht Management Division and pursued her career in the maintenance and compliancy of yachts under ISM / ISPS management, a specialist area in which she became the manager for many years.

Marianne is also recently become a certified ILO trainer in the application of the Maritime Labour Convention 2006, and is highly interested in any new regulations which affect the yachting industry, she passed on her ISM / ISPS responsibilities to a new team member in 2013 and has taken over the role as Senior Fleet Manager. In September 2018, she has been nominated Deputy Head of Yacht Management Department based in the Monaco office.
After 16 years spent at C&N, Marianne has been appointed Head of Yacht Management in February 2019.

Laurence Lewis

President, YPI Crew

Laurence has been at the helm of YPI CREW since 2002, steering a course through the ever-changing and increasingly challenging environment of human resources in yachting. Building a team of highly talented specialist recruiters for over a decade, Laurence’s vision and drive have led to YPI CREW becoming the reference when it comes to crew placement on large yachts, worldwide.

Laurence started out her career in recruitment two decades ago, in 1993. She has worked for some of the sector’s most demanding employers, including Elite Medical Services, based in London’s Belgravia.

When she is not working with her team to place crew with some of the most discerning yacht owners, Laurence enjoys spending time with her Bassett hounds and listening to rock music – and she can tell you about some of the nicest high-altitude lakes to hike in the Mercantour.

John Cook

ILO certified trainer of MLC Inspectors, Lesia Group

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.

From June 2022, John will be a Visiting Lecturer at the World Maritime University in Malmo, Sweden.

Georgia Allen

Project Manager, ISWAN

Georgia is Project Manager at the International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN). She is responsible for the strategic delivery of ISWAN’s diverse range of projects related to seafarer mental and physical health and welfare; including their Yacht Crew Help platform, which provides 24/7 helpline support to superyacht crew in need. She works closely with the ISWAN international teams and a wide range of industry stakeholders, to ensure each project is informed by the latest research and findings.

Peter Edwards

General Manager, Voyonic Crew

Captain Nigel Marrison

Conscious Yachting Club

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.