GMBA

Global Marine Business Advisors

Technical & environmental innovation

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

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

Lorenzo Pollicardo

Lorenzo Pollicardo

ITALY

Experience

Lorenzo is a naval architect and marine engineer who has served over 12 years at RINA, the Italian Class Society, as Head of the Yachting Department and Shipping Certification Department. His technical expertise is renowned and he has lectured at the Universities of Genoa, Milan, La Spezia, Rome, Parma. He also has extensive practical experience as consultant to top firms such as Cranchi, Besenzoni, Bellotti, Foresti & Suardi, Guidi.

 

He has extensively served the industry on various committees as technical advisor, Secretary General and Chairman. These associations include UCINA (Italian Marine Industry Association), ICOMIA (Technical Committee and Super Yacht Committee) , European Boating Federation, Nautica Italiana, SYBAss (Superyacht Builders Association) and ViareggiofUCINA, the Italian School of Yachting. He also advises CNA-Nautica, the Italian Confederation of marine SMEs and marine shipyard suppliers and Federagenti, the Italian Federation of Shipping Agents, responsible for the Yacht Division.

 

His experience in event management include the Venice International Boat Show and YARE, the Yacht After Market & Refit Experience in Viareggio. He has worked as Strategic Consultant at the Genoa Harbour Port Authority, at La Spezia City Mayor and at the Ligurian Marine Consortium “1 One”.

Regional Expertise

Italy

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Oscar Siches, CMP

SPAIN

Experience

With navy school background and as offshore racing and cruising yachtsman, Oscar Siches has broad experience in the boating industry having skippered sail and power yachts in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean, both for private and charter clients.

 

Oscar gained first hand knowledge as partner and manager of two marinas in Palma de Mallorca, over a period of 15 years. He consultants on the design and operation of marina projects in various countries, and is a designer of customized marina elements. He was a Certified Marina Manager and is now a Certified Marina Professional, and member of ICOMIA’s Marinas Committee, member of PIANC Recreational Navigation Committee, Convenor (coordinator) of Work group “yacht harbours” at the ISO organization and founding member of the Asia Pacific Superyacht Association and the Global Marina Institute, where he served 6 years as a director.

 

In the last 14 years Oscar has been a speaker at more than 30 marina conferences in 12 countries. He is one of the main contributors to Marina World magazine, a columnist in a local Mallorca nautical publication and his articles are widely enjoyed in many international publications.

 

Oscar was also recently awarded The ICOMIA Marinas Group (IMG) “Golden Cleat Marina Award’. This is a newly created distinction designed to honour outstanding individuals who have demonstrated a true commitment to the global marina community throughout their careers.

 

Oscar is fluent in Spanish, English, French, Italian, Portuguese and Dutch, and has general notions of German and Greek.

Regional Expertise

Mediterranean (Spain, Italy, Greece), China, Singapore, Korea, Caribbean Windward Islands, Unites Arab Emirates.

Recent Insights