Name Jeroen Minnema, sales broker, Ocean Independence

CV I was born in the south of Holland and after university I sold pianos – not your regular yachting background, I guess. I started as a broker in Monnickendam (home of the Hakvoort Shipyard) and then moved to Antibes, where I am still working, for the past three years for Ocean Independence. Being Dutch is a great help in the streamlining of communication with the people at the famous Dutch yards like Amels, Feadship, Heesen, Oceanco and Hakvoort. A gift for learning languages helps me communicate in a few other languages as well, and I think the right communication is essential in selling anything in a global yachting market.

My most memorable sale Without a doubt this is the first Amels 180, which is under construction at the moment. The joy of being able to participate in a team of highly skilled professionals, be it the technical supervisors at Ocean Management (who have supervised five projects already at Amels and have a permanent representative at the yard), or the highly qualified and professional people at Amels, is simply fantastic. And it is great to be able to play a part in the translation of an owner’s wishes and ideas into a true piece of art, where dozens of people are working on it. To see that a lot of the ideas are being incorporated into other yachts shows that we are on the right track.