GMBA

Global Marine Business Advisors

Cultural design preferences and practicalities

Godfrey Zwygart

CHINA AND ASIA

Experience

Frenchman Godfrey Zwygart is a former captain and chief engineer who spent decades in Taiwan, Hong Kong and China. Originally trained in the French Naval Academy he served on both navy and merchant ships and as captain on mega yachts. He moved to Asia in the 80’s as a boat builder in Taiwan, and now specializes in development, management and marketing of world class international yacht marinas and yacht clubs.

 

In 2010 Zwygart moved to Sanya to build and act as general manager operations of the multi-awards winning Sanya Serenity Marina. The 5 gold anchors platinum marina has been a host twice for the Volvo Ocean Race, as well as the Clipper Race and the youth world sailing championships.

 

Zwygart then established Marevisio Co Limited, aiming to help marinas and super yachts brands in the Asian region through management consultancy, training, and services. Zwygart has published two books as well as a large number of articles in Chinese and he is a prominent figure in China’s yachting and marine industry.

 

As foreign expert for the Hainan government, he collaborates with the local government on the development of the Hainan free trade port.

 

Zwygart is fluent in French, English, Italian and Chinese.

Regional Expertise

China and Asia

Recent Insights

Boris Miškić

Croatia, Montenegro

Experience

Boris has spent his entire working life in the nautical business, starting as the manager in a charter company. During the intensive growth in the country, which in 2010 officially hosted a third of the world’s charter fleet, the NCP charter has developed and become the leading Croatian charter company.

 

By moving to a commercial shipyard as the commercial – technical director, he participated in the transformation from an exclusively naval shipyard into a shipyard specializing in the repair and the maintenance of superyachts.

 

Boris is also a co-owner of a travel agency specialized in the organization of tailor-made events at sea, nautical team building programmes and sailing regattas. As the director of the project for the development of the first Croatian marina for mega yachts, the Mandalina marina in Šibenik, and as its first director, he introduced new standards and elements in the design of marinas in Croatia.

 

Since 2005, Boris has been leading an experienced team in marina development, from producing pontoons, marina designs, project management and oversight of the installation of new recreational marinas. He has participated in over 120 marina projects, from development, construction, expansion and even the reconstruction of ports and marinas, in over 14 Mediterranean countries.

 

Boris is a licensed Yacht-Master, sailing instructor and sailing referee.

Regional Expertise

Croatia, Montenegro

Recent Insights

Knut Heiberg-Andersen

NORWAY

Experience

As a young International Management Trainee in a large cement and building material conglomerate, Knut was invited to manage one of their subsidiaries, FJORD PLAST AS, which at the time was one of the largest boat industries in Europe. 

 

Little did Knut know that this would be his lifetime engagement and passion.

 

After running their operations in the Philippines for a number of years, Knut moved on to become the Managing Director of the Fjord Company and on behalf of Norcem AS, sold it to an outside group.

 

Eight years later a close friend asked Knut to help with WINDY & DRACO,  a project estimated to take  2- 3 years to complete. This “project” has lasted since 1990 and the name of WINDY is today synonymous with the very best of Scandinavian quality.

 

Knut steered WINDY Through exciting and challenging times with a team of the most competent and passionate co-workers and has left a legacy of respect for conduct and “inside-out-quality” which only the few have had the pleasure of experiencing.  Over the years Knut offered his time and services to national marine associations as well as contributing to the European marine organization we have today.

 

Over the years Knut has offered his time and services to national marine associations as well as contributing to the European marine organization we have today.

 

After 29 years at the helm of WINDY BOATS AS, Knut is now overseeing the development of his life-long passion, WINDY, as Chairman and Mentor.

Regional expertise:

Regional Expertise

Norway

Recent Insights

Björn Ingemanson

SWEDEN

Experience

Björn has worked in the global marine industry between 2012-2020 as the President & CEO for Volvo Penta, a Swedish based global engine- and propulsion supplier active in more than 140 countries. Volvo Penta develops engines, systems and drives suitable for boats in the range from 18 feet all the way up to yachts around 130 feet and supply OEM’s and projects both in the leisure marine market as well as for the commercial market. During his years at the helm of Penta the business almost doubled in revenues with increased profitability.

 

Before that Björn has an extensive leadership experience from the Volvo Group with different leading positions at Volvo Trucks, Volvo Financial Services and Volvo Cars. Björn has a broad international back ground and has also lived three years in Tokyo, Japan.

 

After leaving Volvo Penta Björn is focusing on advisory roles and projects both in the marine industry and in other global companies and also serves as a Certified Board Member for several Swedish companies.

 

Björn is an experienced boater since 40 years and has been involved both in several sailing events, such as the Volvo Ocean Race as well as been active in the Swedish Coast Artillery educated as a Commander of a Patrol boat during his military service.

Regional Expertise

Sweden

Recent Insights

Piotr Jasionowski

Piotr Jasionowski

POLAND

Experience

Piotr Jasionowski is a shipbuilding engineer with 30 years’ experience in the shipbuilding industry.

 

He gained invaluable experience during his 25 years at the Ostróda shipyard in Poland, which has been a part of the French Beneteau Group since 2001. Piotr’s passion is the industrialization of yacht and boat production processes with a focus on automation and increased efficiency. He is a technical production expert and a pioneer in the industrialization of serial production of boats and yachts in Poland. He also served in numerous management positions, most notably that of managing director and president of the board of “Ostróda Yacht”.

 

Industry development and government advocacy is close to Piotr’s heart. He is the co-founder of the Polish Association of the Yacht Industry, which in 2001 was transformed into the Polish Chamber of Yachting Industry and Water Sports – POLBOAT. Since its inception, he has been actively working for the development of the yachting industry, serving as a member of the management board of the organization. He served as country representative at ICOMIA and since 2017, he has been the vice-president of the EBI – the European federation of the boating industry based in Brussels.

 

Piotr is fluent in English, Polish and Russian.

Regional Expertise

Poland

Recent Insights

YP Loke

SINGAPORE

Experience

YP Loke is Managing Director of Singapore-based Spinnaker International, a company specialising in technical and advisory services in the recreational marine sector. He is the chairman of the Singapore Boating Industry Association, and a council member on the Singapore MPA (Maritime Port Authority) convened National Maritime Safety at Sea Council (NMSSC). He is a Singapore Tourism Conference Ambassador for the boating sector.

 

YP is also member of the ICOMIA Marinas Group IMG), and until recently was an ICOMIA vice-president. He is an honorary member of the Hong Kong based Asia-Pacific Superyacht Association (APSA). On the recreational front YP is Vice-President on the General Committee of Raffles Marina, Singapore.

 

YP graduated in Naval Architecture from the Southampton Institute, UK, and is a CMM (Certified Marina Manager). He also holds an MBA from the Cranfield School of Management, Cranfield University, UK. He was Asia-Pacific Boating Magazine’s Person of the Year in 2012. He writes the occasional commentary on the state of the boating industry for various boating publications and has been a speaker at several marina and boating conferences worldwide.

Regional Expertise

Singapore and Asia Pacific

Recent Insights

David Lewin

United Kingdom

Experience

After 14 years in the fashion clothing industry where he trained in Germany as a production engineer, David started his own business producing protective sports clothing for sailing, country sports and skiing. Having sold it after 17 years he spent 9 years running a mail-order and internet based marine retail business. Thereafter he bought into a marine and specialist paint manufacturing company whilst consulting for various electronics companies developing MOB systems and also for a major German lifejacket manufacturer. Latterly he has been developing the UK market for a large French boat interior furniture producer.

 

Whilst doing this, he worked his way through various committees to become President of the British Marine Federation (rebranded to simply “British Marine” in 2015), Vice Chairman of National Boat Shows, Vice Chairman of ICOMIA and a Council Member of the RYA.

 

He has now worked in the marine industry for nearly 40 years.

Regional Expertise

United Kingdom

Recent Insights

Dr Jouko Huju, DBA

FINLAND

Experience

Jouko has worked all his career in export promotion and international trade, both in private and public sectors. He served at FINNBOAT (Finnish Marine Industries Federation) for over 20 years in various capacities including that of CEO and later, as Chairman. His passion for industry development, exports and international relations led him to ICOMIA (International Council of Marine Industry Associations) where he was a board member for 14 years. He was actively involved in the establishment of European Boating Industry (EBI) and the KV- Foorum, a public- private partnership to foster dialogue and promote cooperation in the export sector. He has served as Board member and Chairman of numerous organisations including, but not limited to ICOMIA, IMCI, FINNBOAT and KV-Foorum.

 

He believes in both work-based-learning and lifelong-learning, completing an English MBA program and straight after that also a DrBA program. After 6 years of studying alongside work he wrote a thesis on: “Navigating New routes to Lobbying in Brussels – A Research on European Boating Industry”.

 

Jouko is fluent in Finnish, Swedish, English and German.

Regional Expertise

Jouko is a born Finn but has worked extensively in Sweden, Norway and the Central European Countries

Recent Insights