People on the Move this Week

Bavaria Yachts

Michael Müller has returned to Bavaria Yachts as CEO of the German firm. Together with managing directors Norbert Leifeld (COO) and Thorsten Gatz (CFO), Müller will lead the yard near Würzburg and keep it on course for success.

Cockwells

Cockwells Modern & Classic Boatbuilding in the UK has made major changes to its senior management structure to reflect what it describes as “exponential growth” in recent years Effective immediately, Dave Cockwell will take up the dual roles of executive chairman and sales & technical director, while Dean Short is appointed managing director.

CompareYachtInsurance

CompareYachtInsurance.com has appointed Penny Searles as chair of the board. Searles is renowned for her influential role in shaping the landscape of using telematics data to reduce loss ratios in both motor and marine, and distributing the policies via aggregator space.

Highfield Boats USA

Highfield Boats recently announced two new additions to its North American sales and marketing team. Emma Rigby joins Highfield Boats USA as a regional sales manager overseeing the North American east coast, while Jean-Côme Mazière, current VP of sales and marketing for Nuova Jolly North America, assumes additional responsibility as a regional sales manager concentrating on OEM support and brand development.

“I am thrilled to introduce our two newest members of the Highfield USA sales team,” said Highfield Boats USA president, Christophe Lavigne. “In addition to their marine industry experience and expertise, Emma and Jean-Côme both are fluent in multiple languages, including English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French, ensuring they can provide excellent service and support to all our customers.”

Mercury Marine Canada

Wisconsin, US-based Mercury Marine has appointed marine industry veteran Richard Straka as its new general manager of Mercury Canada with immediate effect. Straka joined Mercury in 2021 as category director and most recently served as director of supply chain and operations strategy. He brings extensive marine industry experience to the role, following previous executive positions at Wells Fargo and GE Capital.

Prestige Yachts

Andrea Cragnotti has been appointed sales director, large yachts, at Prestige Yachts. The role will see him manage the worldwide marketing of the yard’s large vessels. Speaking to tuttobarche.it, Cragnotti said: ”We are the undisputed leader in this market because our sales exceed those of all our competitors. My appointment represents the yard’s desire to take this leadership to the 60ft-70ft range as well, and probably one day even further…”