SYBAss Welcomes New Board Member
During the annual general assembly of the Superyacht Builders Association (SYBAss) on 22 September 2020, members approved of the appointment of Giovanna Vitelli, vice president of Azimut | Benetti Group, to the board.
“I am most pleased to welcome Giovanna Vitelli to the board of SYBAss,” said SYBAss Secretary General Theo Hooning. “It’s important that the board has an Italian representative given the country’s standing within the industry. And with board members also hailing from Germany, the United States and the Netherlands, the board continues to reflect not only the global composition of SYBAss members but also a number of different segments within the market.”
A lawyer by trade, Vitelli spent five years working in a legal firm before joining the family company in 2004. “Benetti is among the founding members of SYBAss, in itself a clear sign of the company’s support and my family’s deep belief in this association,” said Vitelli. “I especially appreciate the philosophy of the association which has always been to work for the common good of the group, without falling into the trap of pursuing individual agendas and interests. In this unprecedented and highly complex time in which we find ourselves, with the myriad of challenges facing our industry and the need for significant changes in terms of technology, products and legislative framework, I believe it is more important than ever to work together and safeguard the sector.”
The SYBAss board for the current board term consists of Michael Breman (Lürssen Yachts, president), Fabrizio Sgariglia (Perini Navi, vice president), Michelle Jones (Delta Marine), Jan-Bart Verkuyl (Feadship), Giovanna Vitelli (Benetti) and Theo Hooning (secretary general). The board represents the 21 members of SYBAss, a formidable group collectively responsible for over two-thirds of delivered 40m+ yachts in 2019 by gross tonnage.
The Superyacht Builders Association (SYBAss) unites and represents the world’s leading superyacht builders. The association was founded in 2007 to ensure that the specific needs of superyacht builders were addressed on the international stage. It is the collective voice of the superyacht industry with its 21 members responsible for more than half of all yachts over 40 metres in build.