Burgess Appoints New Head of Yacht Management

Ryan began his career at Burgess in 2013 following a 12-year career working on private and charter vessels around the world. His wealth of experience both onboard and off place Ryan in great stead to grow his department in the years to come. 

Ryan comments, ‘Burgess Yacht management has always been at the top of its game and I am truly honoured to have now taken the helm. I have been with Burgess for over seven years and am excited to be an instrumental part of its new strategy. My role will see me heading up the department the core focus of which will remain on customer satisfaction and service delivery across all facets of yacht management including crew, technical, operational, finance and compliance. 

We continue to expand our team - now over seventy strong - with management personnel in Miami, London, Monaco, Hong Kong and Dubai. One of the key objectives in our growth strategy is to continually be on the lookout for talent. The organisational structure brings growth and opportunity for the next generation of management professionals with an experienced, senior team providing assurance, support and guidance.’

The Burgess Yacht Management department was created in 1987 following the notorious sale 87m Benetti motor yacht Nabila to Donald Trump, who then renamed the yacht Trump Princess. The superyacht, which was sold in 1991 and re-named Kingdom 5-KR, is still managed by the Burgess Yacht Management team today alongside over 100 of the most iconic yachts worldwide.  

Ryan will replace Philip Naylor from his 2-year position at the head of the department during a phased transition in the first few months of this year. The predicted development of this department is evidenced by another appointment, that of Mark Binnie to Yacht Management Consultant. Mark will manage his own fleet of yachts and manage the team of Associate Yacht Managers as well as acting as ‘Burgess Ambassador’ in his new role. 

Burgess CEO Jonathan Beckett says, ’I am confident that Ryan will do a first class job in his new role and will lead the Yacht Management Team into a dynamic future.’ 

The corporate reshuffle indicates the brokerage is steeling itself for a busy and prosperous year, perhaps in compensation for the uncertainty of the last. Burgess has already kicked off a fantastic 2021 with the sale of 67m Damen support yacht Garcon, acting on behalf of both the buyer and seller in the deal.