The members of the Superyacht Builders Association (SYBAss) have 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,” comments 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.”

“It’s important that the board has an Italian representative, given the country’s standing within the industry..." - SYBAss Secretary General - Theo Hooning

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,” says 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.

"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” - Giovanna Vitelli - vice president of Azimut | Benetti Group

"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-plus yachts in 2019 by gross tonnage.

Profile links

Azimut Benetti

Superyacht Builders Association (SYBAss)

Click here to become part of The Superyacht Group community, and join us in our mission to make this industry accessible to all, and prosperous for the long-term. We are offering access to the superyacht industry’s most comprehensive and longstanding archive of business-critical information, as well as a comprehensive, real-time superyacht fleet database, for just £10 per month, because we are One Industry with One Mission. Sign up here.