With the word yacht, associations such as freedom, open possibilities, enjoying life and, of course, sympathy are automatically triggered for me. In the current situation, owning a yacht also means avoiding a lockdown. I was interested in how the intermediary companies worked during Covid- 19 in Monaco. I approached the Raphael Sauleau, CEO of Fraser Yachts, who have been operating at full speed during this period, and the business has been doing exceptionally well. It seems that investing in a “yacht” of freedom was not a bad step.
Freedom, open possibilities, enjoying life, and sympathy. These are all words that are associated with yachts, trigger strong feelings for me and many other people in the world.
Ivana: Raphael tell me what is the job of CEO for the most luxurious and largest global yacht companies with 18 offices around the world? Is working for Fraser a huge responsibility?
Raphael: Haha …. Ivana my work is very varied, I overview many areas stretching from working close with our sales force, yacht management operations, finance, marketing, HR especially during these challenging times and of course meeting with existing and future clients. Under normal circumstances, I do travel a lot to visit our 18 offices worldwide with more than 180 team members and of course spend time with our clients. I could resume my life being between the sea, the air and land….
Ivana: You have offices in the most lucrative ports such as London, Monaco, Mallorca, Antibes, Viareggio but also Kuwait, Qatar and Sydney. Your job sounds like a dream job, do you have to be on the road all the time?
Raphael: Indeed. This job is extremely mobile and takes me to wonderful places and allows me to meet extraordinary people. It is extremely rewarding but yet challenging. It does sound a bit like a dream job at a very high pace though…. Fraser is one of the largest and most prestigious multi services yacht companies in the world. For this reason, it is essential to always be close to our customers and meet their high expectations and do so with high confidentiality in mind. We provide all around services such as sales, charter, yacht management, project management and crewing therefore there is never a dull moment not only to attract new clients but moreover serve our large clients base.
Ivana: Tell me what a typical customer who wants to design a tailor-made yacht looks like? Where do clients usually come from? Do they come from Russia, USA or does the customer type often change?
Raphael: Our customers are UHNWI individuals who enjoy privacy and wish to experience the world together with their loved ones, friends and at times business associates. Their vision of luxury and yachting can vary at times however they all aim at enjoying life in total freedom and yachting can provide you with this. A yacht is, I believe, the ultimate way to visit the world and provides you with unlimited possibilities as you can go anywhere in the world, drop anchor, enjoy dinner somewhere in a small fish restaurant or change your plans and go for fun. Have a great dinner with friends in the Michelin-starred restaurant or prefer entertainment in the seaside towns or simply enjoy the onboard chef’s delicacies. The possibilities are virtually unlimited. You have the whole world open. It’s incredibly liberating.
Ivana: Why does an ordinary billionaire buying a yacht? Is it a question of prestige or is it a feeling of freedom?
Raphael: Buying a yacht can be triggered by different motives – of course whilst the image is often one of trying to show off, very few to no clients I have met really care about the bling-bling yachting approach. It of course provides you with a certain prestige but most see in a yacht the possibility to explore the world but moreover a sanctuary to spend valuable times with loved ones and friends away from the buzz they often meet whilst on land.
Ivana: At the time of the first wave of the Coronavirus, yachts were extremely sought after, and many people from Monaco spent time at sea with their families and friends in their private yachts. Did clients have any special requirements?
Raphael: During the first wave of pandemic, many clients could not travel and the borders were closed. We all had a little fear and panic and we wanted to feel safe. Yachting provides a sense of safety in a controlled environment, for you and the whole family. Monaco is often qualified as the World Capital of yachting not only for it unique setting by the Mediterranean sea but also the high number of its UHNWI( Ultra high-net-worth individual) residents. As a result, many enjoyed boating as soon as restrictions were lifted. It also resulted in an increase of demand for boats for sale which we were happy to assist with. It certainly kept us busy.
Ivana: The main idea of Le Globless is to learn from the best, unique, brilliant and powerful global leading minds and to share this experience onwards. Le Globless also attracts investors around the world. What do you think about our mission Le Globless and building a new generation of business?
Raphael: Le Globless offers an unique opportunity for readers and interviewees alike a forum to exchange and share ideas across different fields and businesses. The hindsights shared by most broaden our horizons and provide an initial entry into areas which are not necessarily known to all. It certainly gives a good and diverse outlook on business as a whole.
My big pleasure to ” Meet the man with a key to freedom”
Wheels, Frasers, 2020
