Vincenzo Poerio
A Rosy Outlook
Vincenzo Poerio holds his business card in both hands when handing it to you. As CEO of Benetti’s new megayacht division, he’s been working to develop the company’s presence in China. Consequently, Poerio has been taking language lessons and adopting Eastern cultural traits.
Recently, Azimut-Benetti underwent a corporate restructuring that split the company in two, dividing it at 30 meters (98 feet). Atlantis, Magellano, and Azimut, comprise the production half, while a megayacht division above that size is composed of Azimut Grande and Benetti, yachts that generally involve the client as well as project management, dealerships, and brokers. “All the brands started with small boats,” Poerio explains. “The market pushed those brands bigger.”
Poerio has pursued a nautical career his entire life, originally intending to take to the seas as a captain but eventually getting an engineering degree. After working for other shipyards, including the more commercially oriented Fincantieri, Poerio now runs Benetti by example. “You can’t ask workers to sacrifice if you don’t yourself,” he says.
He also has a plan for the future of his division that includes focusing on capital investment and the training of personnel. “We are doing the right strategy,” he states unequivocally. “You need to invest all the money in the company. If you get a million, you invest in a new shipyard.” Equally important, Poerio believes that it is the duty of the more experienced employees to train the younger ones, just as he was trained when he started out.
Finally, Poerio believes that everyone should share in the rewards of teamwork during good times just as everyone should be expected to sacrifice in bad times. Judging by the response Poerio gets both in the yard and during boat shows, his leadership is respected, both within the company and without. PMY
Azimut-Benetti
(+39) 0584 3821.
www.benettiyachts.it.
Specifications
- Builder: Benetti
This article originally appeared in the November 2011 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.
