Heesen Yachts has announced the appointment of a new Chief Commercial Officer, Friso Visser, who has a wide-ranging knowledge of the international shipbuilding industry. Friso will lead the sales and marketing team and take responsibility for maintaining the company’s global position as a leading Dutch yacht builder. He spent 18 years as International Sales Director at Damen Shipyards Group and brings a wealth of experience in the international maritime industry. He will be supported at Heesen by Robert Drontmann. “I am honoured to join the team at Heesen Yachts,” commented Friso. “The company is a distinctive and competitive player in the market, and with its combination of full-custom and speculative production, it brings a unique approach to building the finest and most exclusive superyachts in the world. I look forward to working with such a dedicated and innovative team.”
Mark Cavendish, who has worked at the shipyard for 12 years, eight of them as CCO, now takes on the role of Executive Commercial Officer, supporting Friso and focusing on developing Heesen’s commercial presence in new markets. Mark will also be responsible for developing the brokerage community network, and will head up custom projects.
Arthur Brouwer, Heesen’s CEO, said: “We are delighted to welcome Friso on board at Heesen, and look forward to working together on increasing our market share and bringing our brand to new heights.”
Heesen’s order book currently consists of 15 yachts under construction, from 50m up to 80m, with deliveries through 2024. These include both semi-custom and full-custom yachts.
