GMBA

Global Marine Business Advisors

Supplier development

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

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Albert Willemsen

Albert Willemsen

Netherlands

Experience

Albert Willemsen, the GMBA technical expert, is a qualified engineer with significant capability in the superyacht and leisure marine sector. His knowledge on sustainability and environmental matters is legendary and covers diverse areas such as anti-fouling, end–of-life and recycling issues, marina dredging, to name a few. He has decades of experience in governmental relations and has been an active player in the drafting of guidelines and legislation for the sector.

Regional Expertise

Netherlands

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

Yavuz Sipahi

Yavuz Sipahi

TURKEY

Experience

Yavuz Sipahi started his illustrious career in the marine sector 52 years ago with a solid career in the Turkish Navy, retiring from active service as a staff commander in 1984.

 

He started his first boatbuilding firm in the Bodrum region, focusing mainly on the ever popular Turkish gullets. The company expanded to component manufacturing, yacht maintenance and refurbishment projects.

 

He joined Atakoy Marina in İstanbul as Technical Manager in 1989 where he was able to get first hand experience of marina management and maintenance. Always eager to take on new challenegs, he later left to join BURLA group where he was the General Manager for the Marine Division until his retirement in mid- 2020.

 

He has been an active part of numerous local and international industry bodies, and has served as board member and President on a number of occasions. His experience includes years of service in DENTUR /YATED, YATEF, ADF, DDD, DTO, TRYIAD in Turkey, ICOMIA.

 

Yavuz is excited about the myriad opportunities in the marine sector and looks forward to sharing his knowledge and expertise with the next generation of business and industry leaders.

Regional Expertise

Turkey

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