Joining Moravia Yachting in 2019, Andy Holmes’ career path until that point had provided him with the ideal foundation for becoming a yacht broker. Having spent much of his early career as an Aeronautical Engineer in the Royal Navy, the experience was a rigorous training ground for understanding operations in a marine environment. “From a technical perspective, I fully understand how superyachts are put together, how they operate, and how they are regulated,” Andy explains.
Leaving the Royal Navy as a Chartered Engineer, Andy wanted to transition into business and undertook an MBA at Imperial College, London. Andy’s thesis encompassed a strategic study of a superyacht management company, with Hill Robinson providing the focus for the project. This initial introduction to the superyacht industry ignited a passion for superyachts that set Andy on a course towards yacht brokerage.
After completing his MBA, Andy joined Barclays Corporate and Investment Bank. Still enthralled by the superyacht sector, Andy quickly identified corporate jet and superyacht lending as an untapped sector for investment banking risk management and was given responsibility for growing this area of the business – another formative experience.
“I had to understand the risks surrounding superyachts from a financial perspective, which is complicated because they are moveable products,” he adds. “It also meant that I was having important, practical conversations with superyacht owners – it was probably the best grounding for going into the yacht brokerage space.”
“I had to understand the risks surrounding superyachts from a financial perspective, which is complicated because they are moveable products”
As the financial markets’ landscape started to change due to increased regulation and oversight, Andy decided to pursue a career in superyacht brokerage. Having found out about Hill Robinson’s acquisition of Moravia Yachting, he was offered a position as the company was being rebranded and restructured, which Andy jumped at. “Not only was I familiar with Hill Robinson and appreciated the company’s ethos and commitment to its clients’ interests, but it was also an exciting opportunity to be part of a growing business,” he reflects.
As Andy has played a pivotal role in Moravia’s growth over the past few years, he has also established himself as a reputable broker with an inherently practical approach. “My main aim is for clients to be engaged in yachting for the long term,” he concludes. “Finding the right yacht for them and their family is more of a journey: chartering is helpful before buying their first yacht to discover what really suits them or is important to them, and then evolving those requirements towards their second or third yacht as their life and lifestyle progresses.”
“My main aim is for clients to be engaged in yachting for the long term”
Previous Article
