The family-owned half of Feadship, 1,200 people in seven companies in Aalsmeer and Makkum, handed to the next generation in 2025 and 2026.
1906
Founded
De Vries family
Owner
not published
Revenue
over 1,200
People
7
Companies
Aalsmeer, Makkum
Yards
What happened, 2023 to 2026
May 2025Top seatHenk de Vries retires as CEO and Feadship Director
May 2025Top seatRoderick de Vries, technical director since 2010, becomes CEO
Apr 2026Top seatRob de Vries chief projects officer, Bas Nederpelt CCO, John Veldman CFO
May 2026Build101 m Project 1014 runs sea trials from Makkum
What it adds up to. A complete generational handover done in two steps, with an outside chief commercial officer kept beside the family.
Who runs it
CEOsince 2025
Chief Commercial Officer; Director, Feadship
Head of Production, deputy directorsince 2025
Head of Innovationsince 2025
Head of Technologysince 2025
CFOsince 2014
Controller, management team membersince 2011
Organisation. Family; next generation as CEO, projects officer and CCO
What it shows for a new yard. Family next generation in the CEO and projects seats, a hired commercial officer: the technical-director-to-CEO path.
Former leaders now elsewhere2 people who held a top or senior seat here
now Director Amsterdam Shipyard at Royal Van Lent Shipyard
now Commercial Director at Heesen Yachts
The top team as read on LinkedIn13 people read as staff, October 2026
CEO from the owning family, promoted from Technical Director in May 2025, over: Chief Commercial Officer (also a Feadship director), CFO, HR Director, Head of Production (deputy director), Head of Technology, Head of Innovation, Head of Purchasing, Project director; a controller sits on the management team.
The Aalsmeer yard shows the cleanest technical-to-top-seat succession on the Dutch side: the technical director of fifteen years became CEO in 2025, with a long-serving CCO holding the client side and the CFO in place since 2014. Technology, innovation, production and purchasing were all refreshed in 2023-2025, so the second layer is new under an insider CEO. Sales directors are on the Feadship page, not here: the yard's own commercial seat is the CCO.
Top seat
Senior layer · 9
Sales and marketing 1
Engineering and design 2
Production and operations 1
Projects, service and after-sales 1
Purchasing and supply chain 1
Finance, legal and IT 2
People 1
Managers · 3
Engineering and design 1
Production and operations 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 Feadship · Koninklijke De Vries4 in the pools; the shortlisted first, then by tier and score
* Commercial leadership30%CCO at De Vries Scheepsbouw / Director at Feadship
* Yacht network20%Director Nautor's Swan Europe - Monaco @ Oy Nautor Ab (2004 – 2007)
* Technical and pricing20%Commercial Director @ De Vries Scheepsbouw/Feadship: prices full-custom contracts
* Business building20%Managing Director @ De Valk International B.V. (2002 – 2004)
Leadership maturity10%Commercial director roles since 1994
Reading. CCO of De Vries and a Feadship director (headline; the role row carries no dates). Before: Director Nautor's Swan Europe in Monaco, Managing Director of De Valk brokerage, commercial director in consumer goods, Erasmus business economics. Career since 1987. The brief names him. The top commercial seat in full-custom yachting; pricing of full-custom contracts sits with him, no engineering background.
Career
Commercial Director · De Vries Scheepsbouw/Feadship
Director Nautor's Swan Europe - Monaco · Oy Nautor Ab 2004 – 2007
Managing Director · De Valk International B.V. 2002 – 2004
marketing manager · B&C International b.v. 1997 – 2002
commercial director · Dico International B.V. 1994 – 1997
Director Dico Italia · Dico International - Italy 1991 – 1994
Erasmus University Rotterdam master · Business Economics
Languages
Dutch · Native or bilingual proficiency, English · Full professional proficiency, German · Professional working proficiency, Italian · Professional working proficiency, french · Professional working proficiency
* Technical and pricing20%Technical Director @ Koninklijke de Vries Scheepsbouw (Jul 2010 – Aug 2025)
* Business building20%Head of Engineering @ De Hoop Shipyard (May 1999 – Sep 2003)
Leadership maturity10%22 years at the yard before the top seat
Reading. CEO since May 2025 after fifteen years as Technical Director (2010-2025) and seven as program, project and after-sales manager; Head of Engineering at De Hoop before; Delft maritime engineering. Family name of the owning family. The technical-director-to-CEO path the brief wants to study, inside a family-owned full-custom yard.
Career
CEO · Koninklijke de Vries Scheepsbouw te Aalsmeer May 2025 – Present
Technical Director · Koninklijke de Vries Scheepsbouw te Aalsmeer Jul 2010 – Aug 2025
Program Manager & Project Manager & After Sales Manager · Koninklijke De Vries Scheepsbouw b.v. Oct 2003 – Jun 2010
Head of Engineering · De Hoop Shipyard May 1999 – Sep 2003
Engineer · Carnival Cruises Technical Services Mar 1997 – Aug 1997
Education
Delft University of Technology Master of Science · Maritime Engineering; HWC
* Commercial leadership30%No evidence in the profile.
* Yacht network20%Project Manager @ Koninklijke de Vries Scheepsbouw (Jan 2021 – Jan 2025)
* Technical and pricing20%Head of Technology @ Koninklijke de Vries Scheepsbouw (Jan 2025 – Present); Technical Manager (2010-2021)
* Business building20%No evidence in the profile.
Leadership maturity10%No evidence in the profile.
Reading. Since Jan 2025; technical manager 2010-2021 and project manager 2021-2025 at the yard; Heerema and Allseas offshore engineer; Delft marine engineering.
Career
Head of Technology · Koninklijke de Vries Scheepsbouw te Aalsmeer Jan 2025 – Present
Project Manager · Koninklijke de Vries Scheepsbouw te Aalsmeer Jan 2021 – Jan 2025
Technical Manager · Koninklijke de Vries Scheepsbouw te Aalsmeer Apr 2010 – Jan 2021
* Commercial leadership30%No evidence in the profile.
* Yacht network20%No evidence in the profile.
* Technical and pricing20%Head of Production @ Koninklijke de Vries Scheepsbouw (Sep 2025 – Present); Management Team member; Deputy Director
* Business building20%Project Leader Newbuilding (Jun 2020 – Sep 2025)
Leadership maturity10%No evidence in the profile.
Reading. Head of Production and management team member since Sep 2025 (deputy director); newbuild project leader 2020-2025; Fugro fleet project manager; naval architect at Damen's De Hoop yard before.
Career
Head of Production · Koninklijke de Vries Scheepsbouw te Aalsmeer Sep 2025 – Present
Project Leader Newbuilding · Koninklijke de Vries Scheepsbouw te Aalsmeer Jun 2020 – Sep 2025
Project Manager Refit · Koninklijke de Vries Scheepsbouw te Aalsmeer Mar 2019 – Jun 2020
Project Manager · Fugro Marine Services B.V. - Fleet Development Mar 2008 – Feb 2019
Naval Architect · Offshore Ship Designers (OSD) Feb 2007 – Nov 2008
Project Manager / Cost Estimator · Oostingh Staalbouw BV Jun 2005 – Feb 2007
Project Manager / Naval Architect · Damen Shipyards / Werf "De Hoop" Schiedam B.V. Apr 1999 – Jun 2005
Education
Bureau Zuidema Inzicht in Invloed; DNV GL Training ISO 9001&14001-2015 & Internal Auditor ISO9001&14001 shipping companies; NIMO Project Management Instituut & NIMO Academy IPMA level D · International Project Management
Royal title at its 2006 centenary; Makkum yard opened 2005.
Makkum yard director: Sijbrand de Vries (2026-05-21). source
News 2023 to 2026 · Feadship note
2026-09
Feadship reveals HIVE, a 115 m concept design.feadship.nl
2026-04
De Vries marks its leadership handover at Aalsmeer: Henk and Tom de Vries leave day-to-day management; Roderick de Vries (CEO), Rob de Vries (Chief Projects Officer), Bas Nederpelt (CCO and Feadship Director) and John Veldman (CFO) take over.feadship.nl
2026-04
Feadship debuts Project 826, an 80 m sailing yacht, a rare sail project for the yard.feadship.nl
2025-09
Feadship joins the Nuclear Energy Maritime Organization.feadship.nl
2025-07
Delivery of 101 m Moonrise; 118.8 m Breakthrough (fuel cells, built on speculation) presented at Monaco after delivery earlier in 2025.boatinternational.comfeadship.nl
2025-04
Henk de Vries retires on 1 May 2025 as Feadship Director and CEO of De Vries; Roderick de Vries becomes CEO, Bas Nederpelt becomes CCO and Feadship Director.maritimetechnology.nl
2024-09
Feadship launches Feadship Resale, a brokerage arm for its own yachts.feadship.nl
2024-05
Launch of 118.8 m Project 821 at the Amsterdam yard, the first Feadship with fuel cells.feadship.nl
