The yachting division of the Damen family group, building Amels platforms in Vlissingen with hulls from Poland and Romania and explorers from Antalya.
1918 Amels · 2020 division
Founded
Damen Shipyards Group, family
Owner
EUR 3.25 bn · 2025
Group revenue
14 yachts
In build
10th · 14 projects, 1,021 m
Rank
50 to 120 m
Range
What happened, 2023 to 2026
2025MoneyGroup report flags cash-flow issues at Yachting; full custom reviewed; Antalya to grow
Aug 2025BuildXplorer 60 and a YS53 delivered, both built in Antalya
Sep 2025Build120 m Project Tanzanite launched, largest Dutch motor yacht
Nov 2025Top seatRose Damen: series platforms first, full custom only with an owner signed
Mar 2026MoneyGroup profit up; Yachting cut stock, orders strong, US position stronger
Sep 2026DealAnother Amels 60 sold for 2027
What it adds up to. After a costly full-custom period the division went back to platforms built on speculation, and Antalya is now a production hub.
Who runs it
Managing Directorsince 2015
Director Salessince 2018
Asia Directorsince 2015
Director of Operationssince 2024
Head of Productionsince 2023
Head of Design and Developmentsince 2026
Manager Engineering, Damen Yachtingsince 2025
Organisation. Family group division; family managing director with a commercial director
What it shows for a new yard. A family managing director with a commercial director, inside a group that supplies hulls, finance and engineering.
Former leaders now elsewhere8 people who held a top or senior seat here
now Managing Director Damen Green solutions a.i. at Damen shipyards group
now Managing Director @ DAMEN at Damen
now Founder at MES MARINE (Marine Engineering Services)
now Commercial Director at Astilleros de Mallorca - Refit and Repair Shipyard
now Project Director at Oceanco
now Uitvoerend directeur at Oceanco
now Director of Operations division Offshore and Specialized Vessels at Damen
now Eigenaar at Victor Caminada B.V.
The top team as read on LinkedIn19 people read as staff, October 2026
Managing Director from the owning family (since 2015) over: Director Sales (the former managing director), Asia Director, Director of Operations (who also heads project management), Head of Production, Head of Design and Development, Head of Procurement, Head of Refit & Services, Financial Director (shared with the Damen group), Head of Sustainability.
A family-group model: the owner family holds the top seat and the group supplies finance; the professional yacht career sits in the sales seat, where the man who ran Amels as managing director for eleven years now sells the Amels Limited Editions platforms. Operations and production are led by engineers who came up through Amels project management. No CCO or COO title: sales and operations report straight to the managing director. Long tenures everywhere except design and development, renewed in 2026, and production, handed over in 2023 at a retirement.
Top seat
Senior layer · 10
Sales and marketing 2
Engineering and design 2
Production and operations 2
Projects, service and after-sales 2
Purchasing and supply chain 1
Finance, legal and IT 1
Managers · 8
Engineering and design 5
Production and operations 1
Projects, service and after-sales 1
Finance, legal and IT 1
Seats and dates are as the people describe them on LinkedIn; a person who moved in the last months can still show the old seat. Tap a person for the profile and the reading.
Candidates at Damen Yachting · Amels7 in the pools; the shortlisted first, then by tier and score
Rob Luijendijk
Director Sales AMELS | DAMEN Yacht Support | DAMEN SeaXplorer at Damen Yachting · The Hague, Netherlands
* Yacht network20%Qualified Yacht Broker @ De Valk International (Jan 1998 – Jan 2000)
* Technical and pricing20%Eleven years as Managing Director of the Vlissingen yard: pricing and delivery sat with him, not an engineer
* Business building20%Managing Director @ Damen Yachting (Jan 2007 – Jan 2018)
Leadership maturity10%Stepped from Managing Director to Director Sales and stayed eight more years
Reading. Director Sales since 2018 after eleven years as Managing Director of Damen Yachting (2007-2018) and Commercial Director before that; began as a yacht broker at De Valk and Damen sales manager for Latin America. The person who ran Amels through the Limited Editions years and now sells them under the family MD. Career since 1995. The brief names him.
Career
Director Sales AMELS | DAMEN Yacht Support | DAMEN SeaXplorer · Damen Yachting Jan 2018 – Present
Managing Director · Damen Yachting Jan 2007 – Jan 2018
Commercial Director · Damen Yachting Jan 2005 – Jan 2007
Sales Manager · Damen Yachting Jan 2004 – Jan 2005
Sales Manager Latin America · Damen Shipyards Group Jan 2000 – Jan 2004
Qualified Yacht Broker · De Valk International Jan 1998 – Jan 2000
Qualified Yacht Broker · De Valk Yachts 1995 – 1998
* Commercial leadership30%No evidence in the profile.
* Yacht network20%Leading the Project Management Department, consisting of a group of approximately 18 project managers
* Technical and pricing20%Director of Operations @ Damen Yachting (Sep 2024 – Present); Hull Building Manager @ Amels
* Business building20%Head of Projects @ Shipyard K. Damen (Jan 2005 – Sep 2006)
Leadership maturity10%27 years inside the Damen group, project manager to operations director
Reading. Director of Operations since Sep 2024 while still heading the project management department (about 18 project managers). Mechanical engineer; Amels project manager 2006-2017, hull building manager, Shipyard K. Damen before. The delivery half of the Amels platform model.
Career
Director of Operations · Damen Yachting Sep 2024 – Present
Manager Projects, Head of Project Management Department · Damen Yachting Oct 2017 – Present
Project Manager · Amels Sep 2006 – Oct 2017
Hull Building Manager · Amels 2006 – 2010
Head of Projects · Shipyard K. Damen Jan 2005 – Sep 2006
Project Manager · Shipyard K. Damen Sep 2001 – Jan 2005
* Commercial leadership30%No evidence in the profile.
* Yacht network20%Our AMELS Limited Editons range (55-83m) offers all the advantages of a proven platform with a full custom interior
* Technical and pricing20%No evidence in the profile.
* Business building20%Managing Director @ Damen Yachting (Jul 2015 – Present)
Leadership maturity10%Eleven years in the seat; Member Board of Directors @ BOMBARDIER
Reading. Managing Director since Jul 2015; Damen family; INSEAD MBA, investment analyst, one year as group sales trainee before taking the seat; Bombardier board member. The brief's benchmark for a family-held top seat over a professional yacht team. Not a mover.
Career
Member Board of Directors · BOMBARDIER May 2023 – Present
Managing Director · Damen Yachting Jul 2015 – Present
Sales Trainee · Damen Shipyards Group Sep 2014 – Jun 2015
Analyst · Intrinsic Value Investors (IVI) LLP Apr 2008 – Dec 2012
Intern · ABN AMRO Jan 2008 – Mar 2008
Education
INSEAD Master of Business Administration (MBA); Erasmus University Rotterdam; The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
* Technical and pricing20%Head of Design and Development @ Damen Yachting (Feb 2026 – Present)
* Business building20%No evidence in the profile.
Leadership maturity10%No evidence in the profile.
Reading. Since Feb 2026; senior project manager on Damen Yachting builds 2019-2026, SeaXplorer and high-speed craft project manager before; mechanical engineer with an executive MBA.
Career
Head of Design and Development · Damen Yachting Feb 2026 – Present
Sr. Project Manager · Damen Yachting Jan 2019 – Feb 2026
Project Manager SeaXplorer · Damen Nov 2017 – Jan 2019
Project Manager High Speed Craft · Damen Apr 2014 – Nov 2017
Project Manager · Damen Jul 2011 – Apr 2014
Technical Consultant · Zarafa May 2011 – Jul 2011
Graduate · Fugro Aug 2010 – Jan 2011
Education
TIAS School for Business and Society Executive MBA; De Haagse Hogeschool / The Hague University of Applied Sciences B Eng · Mechanical Engineering
* Commercial leadership30%No evidence in the profile.
* Yacht network20%No evidence in the profile.
* Technical and pricing20%Manager Engineering @ Damen Yachting (Jan 2025 – Present); Manager Engineering @ Royal Van Lent Shipyard (2023-2024)
* Business building20%No evidence in the profile.
Leadership maturity10%Head Product Group Custom-Built Hoppers @ Royal IHC; PhD, MBA
Reading. Turkish engineering manager at Damen Yachting since Jan 2025, after manager engineering at Royal Van Lent (Feadship) 2023-2024 and a decade at Royal IHC up to head of the custom-built hopper dredger product group. PhD and MBA (Bahçeşehir). A Turkish engineer who has led engineering at a Feadship yard and now at Damen Yachting; lives in Dordrecht.
Career
Manager Engineering · Damen Yachting Jan 2025 – Present
Algemeen manager · Conductor Marine Works Aug 2023 – Present
Project Director @ Shell RedIIGreen Project · Ballast Nedam Industriebouw B.V. Mar 2024 – Dec 2024
Manager Engineering · Royal Van Lent Shipyard Jan 2021 – May 2023
Head Product Group Custom-Built Hopper Dredgers · Royal IHC Oct 2018 – Jan 2021
Project Manager · Royal IHC Oct 2017 – Jan 2020
Project Manager Engineering · Royal IHC Oct 2012 – Oct 2017
Team Leader Shipbuilding Department · IHC Merwede Apr 2009 – Oct 2012
and 4 earlier roles
Education
Bahçeşehir Üniversitesi Master of Business Administration - MBA; Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi PhD · Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering; Yıldız Technical University MSc. · Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering
Languages
Engels · Full professional proficiency, Frans · Elementary proficiency, Italiaans · Elementary proficiency, Nederlands · Full professional proficiency, Turks · Native or bilingual proficiency
* Commercial leadership30%No evidence in the profile.
* Yacht network20%No evidence in the profile.
* Technical and pricing20%Head of Production @ Damen Yachting (Apr 2023 – Present)
* Business building20%Project Manager Production @ Amels BV (Apr 2010 – Jul 2019)
Leadership maturity10%No evidence in the profile.
Reading. Head of Production since Apr 2023 (manager production 2019-2023, project manager production at Amels 2010-2019; purchasing before). Production leader for the Amels platforms; no commercial exposure.
Career
Head of Production · Damen Yachting Apr 2023 – Present
Manager Production · Damen Yachting Jul 2019 – Apr 2023
* Technical and pricing20%Project Purchaser @ AMELS (May 2001 – May 2005)
* Business building20%No evidence in the profile.
Leadership maturity10%No evidence in the profile.
Reading. Runs the refit and services line since 2021 after 20 years at Amels: project purchaser, after sales, refit sales, sales manager. A small-scale hybrid (technical purchasing to selling refits); scope of the P&L not stated.
Career
Head of Refit & Services · Damen Yachting May 2021 – Present
Sales Manager · Damen Yachting May 2020 – Apr 2021
Refit Sales Manager · AMELS Dec 2017 – May 2020
Refit Sales & Aftersales Manager · AMELS May 2015 – Dec 2017
Aftersales Manager · AMELS May 2005 – 2015
Project Purchaser · AMELS May 2001 – May 2005
Education
HZ University of Applied Sciences Commerciele Werktuigbouw
Facts and news, with sourcesthe research behind the overview
Show the facts and the dated news with their sources
Identity
Full name: Damen Yachting, the yachting division of Damen Shipyards Group N.V. (Netherlands). Division created 30 April 2020 to bring Amels, SeaXplorer (now Xplorer) and Yacht Support under one roof. source
Founded: Amels began in 1918 in Makkum (northern Netherlands); bought by the Damen family in 1991; moved to Vlissingen in 2005. Damen group founded 1927 by Jan and Marinus Damen. source 1source 2
Headquarters: Vlissingen City yard (former Royal Schelde site), the Netherlands. source
Yards (same source): Vlissingen City (head office, Amels outfitting, covered halls up to 204 m); Vlissingen East (halls up to 200 m, shared with Damen Shiprepair); Gdynia, Poland (Amels hull building since 2005, up to 84 m); Antalya Free Trade Zone, Türkiye (Yacht Support and Xplorer builds); Galati, Romania (large and custom yacht hulls). The 2024 annual report names Antalya as a "key production hub" to develop. source
Ownership: 100% part of Damen Shipyards Group, a family-owned company (Damen family, third generation; Arnout Damen is group CEO). source
Brands: Amels (Limited Editions and Full Custom), Xplorer (formerly SeaXplorer), Yacht Support, Refit. source
Size
Employees: not found for the division. (Galati yard has about 4,000 people, but it builds for the whole group. source
Revenue: not published for the division. Group revenue EUR 3.25 billion in 2025 (2024: EUR 3.02 billion), EBITDA EUR 185 million, net profit EUR 61.1 million. source
Boat International Global Order Book 2026 (data as of 1 September 2025): rank 10, 14 projects, 1,021 m total, average 72.9 m. GOB 2025: rank 10, 1,002 m. source
14 superyachts in build across Amels, Xplorer and Yacht Support (2025-11-03). source
Product
Size range: about 50 m (Yacht Support) to 120 m (Amels 120 Full Custom). Xplorer in 60, 80 and 105 m models.
Hull materials: steel hulls with aluminium superstructures (standard for this class; material per model not confirmed in a primary source — see open points).
Build approach: semi-custom series platforms, often started on speculation. The 2025 annual report describes the business as "semi-custom superyachts under the Amels brand".
Full custom (Amels Full Custom, launched 2015 for 80 to 110 m+): only with an owner already signed, per Rose Damen (2025-11-03). The 2024 report mentions a "revaluation of our full custom options" after cash flow issues and difficult projects.
Xplorer: expedition yachts (60, 80, 105 m), built partly in Antalya.
Yacht Support: support vessels (YS53) for tenders, toys, helicopter.
Flagship: Project Tanzanite, Amels 120 Full Custom, 120 m, 6,083 GT, launched September 2025, largest motor yacht built in the Netherlands, delivery due 2026. source
Notable deliveries 2023 to 2026.
Two Yacht Support 53 vessels, 53 m, 2024 (including Bad Company).
Xplorer 60 After You, 60 m, plus YS53 Emotional, 53 m, both built in Antalya, August 2025. source
Pangea, first Amels 80, 80 m, October 2025. source
Group CEO (Damen Shipyards Group): Arnout Damen — as of 2026-03-26. source
Managing Director, Damen Yachting: Rose Damen — as of 2025-11-03. source
Commercial Director, Damen Yachting: Rob Luijendijk — as of 2026-09-09. source
Interior design concepts: Annelies Damen — as of 2025-11-03. Same BI source.
Marketing Director: Thomas Wieringa — as of 2021-11 (appointment; current status not confirmed). source
News 2023 to 2026
2026-09
Damen Yachting sells Amels 60 Project Vogue (60 m, delivery 2027); Commercial Director Rob Luijendijk quoted.swzmaritime.nl
2026-05
Delivery of Amels 60 QU2 from Vlissingen City.swzmaritime.nl
2026-03
Damen Shipyards Group reports 2025 revenue of EUR 3.25 billion and net profit of EUR 61.1 million; Damen Yachting cut stock and reports strong order intake and a stronger US position.damen.com
2025-11
Rose Damen (managing director) says the yard bets on standard platforms and series building and starts full-custom projects only with an owner signed.boatinternational.com
2025-10
Delivery of Pangea, the first Amels 80; five Amels 80 units reported in build.damenyachting.com
2025-09
Launch of 120 m Project Tanzanite, the largest Dutch-built motor yacht.amelsyachting.com
2025 (annual report 2024, published 2025)
Group reports cash flow issues, high stock levels and project performance concerns at Damen Yachting, a revaluation of full-custom options, a 120 m quay expansion in Vlissingen, and plans to develop Antalya as a production hub.lobbyregister.bundestag.de
2023-06
Hull of the 120 m Amels Full Custom arrives in Vlissingen from Galati for outfitting.amelsyachting.com
