The UK’s Oyster Yachts has made two new appointments. Jane Wilkinson joins the company as head of marketing and Simon Haynes as finance director. Both will be based at Oyster’s new headquarters in Saxon Wharf, Southampton.
The appointments follow Oyster’s recent relocation from Ipswich to Southampton, along with a restructure of the business and the expansion of its production facilities. Oyster embarked on a reorganisation plan in 2012 after the yard was acquired by Dutch investment firm HTP Investments.
“The relocation of the Oyster headquarters to our long-established shipyard in Southampton creates a simpler structure than our previous operating model of out-sourced sub-contracting,” says Oyster CEO David Tydeman. “Recruiting Simon and Jane into the senior team is part of ensuring we have the right skills to deliver this new focus and to build up the close links we need between the Southampton yard and our sister shipyard in Norfolk.”
Jane Wilkinson joins Oyster from P&O Cruises where she developed and led the marketing and planning, working to establish a ‘through the line’ communications strategy. She has held previous roles at Cadogan, Merlin and Plastimo UK, and has extensive knowledge of marketing in B2B and B2C environments in the luxury and marine industries.
As head of marketing, Wilkinson’s first recruit for her new team sees Kate Porteous join as marketing and communications manager. Further roles will be filled in the coming months.
Oyster’s new finance director, Simon Haynes, is managing the commercial accounting and financial operation of the business. His background spans over 15 years working as a senior finance professional across a number of SME, private equity and listed companies.
Haynes has a track record of delivering results and supporting business growth through the setting of business strategy, support of business development activities and driving improvements at an operation level as a key member of business teams.
Founded in 1973, Oyster builds blue-water cruising yachts ranging from the Oyster 475 to the Ed Dubois-designed Oyster 125 Superyacht. The company says its order book currently stands at 32 yachts.
Source : http://www.superyachtbusiness.net/news/oyster-yachts-makes-key-appointments/
