In terms of a five-year plan, their efforts are concentrated on raising their global presence. “We’ll be looking to enhance and grow our sales, charter and management offerings on a global scale, setting up professional brokers in strategic locations, while also enhancing our customer service and support for our new brands in Australia and New Zealand,” Rodwell said. “Australia has a bit of a trend with turnover of dealers and distributors.
“Our combined strength will give our customers the confidence and security that our brands will grow year-on-year, providing customer service, management and after-sales support. We will also be offering VIP experiences, such as the one and only Riva Lounge to be built in Australia.”
Rodwell will take on the position of CEO of Ray White Marine, with an active role in Ahoy. As he explained, “My focus will be on taking us digital in a big way and investing in our great team of brokers, investing in their sales training and customer service.
“I’ll be concentrating heavily on our new boat brands and the client VIP experiences we can offer. I’ll work across both brands as CEO for Ray White Marine and APAC Sales Director for Ahoy, specialising in larger superyachts.”
The benefits for Ray White Marine include established technology platforms. “Ahoy has invested heavily in both technology and experienced staff members who can assist with various back-of-house duties that can take up time for an international broker when travelling,” said Rodwell.
“They have a great track record in charters, and their growing yacht management division is very appealing to put forward to our clients. We’ll also benefit from their global footprint, having offices in locations such as Miami and Monaco.”
For Ahoy Club, the main advantages are completing the chain and supporting yacht owners and charterers globally. As Malouf explained, “There’s a notable cross-pollination effect between clients who initially explore the chartering experience and subsequently develop a desire to own a yacht.
“Brock and his team at Ray White Marine are experts in yacht sales and managing dealerships, particularly in Australasia, whereas Ahoy Club are global experts in charter and yacht management. Together, we can now provide seamless support on all yachting matters to yacht owners and charterers worldwide.
“In addition to the Riva Lounge experiences, we’ll leverage each other’s brand partners and Ahoy Club’s member events will only become bigger and better, including our annual Monaco Grand Prix experience.
“This merger allows us to leverage our combined strengths, expertise, network, resources and industry knowledge, enabling us to better support our clients and meet their diverse needs.”
raywhitemarine.com
ahoyclub.com