Yacht builders of Italy and the NetherlandsFor RMK Yachts · teams on LinkedIn, 21 October 2026

ICON Yachts

Netherlands · HarlingenGrade A32 of 40

Harlingen yard that converts commercial vessels into 60 to 78 m explorer yachts in a covered dry dock, owned by a Swiss businessman since 2021.

2005
Founded
Micca Ferrero, majority since 2021
Owner
not published
Revenue
not published
People
60 to 78 m conversions
Range
150 x 33 m covered
Dock

What happened, 2023 to 2026

  1. Dec 2023BuildSeaKeepers partnership; Project Mission explorer concept
  2. Oct 2024Build70 m Project Master interior by Winch Design unveiled
  3. Mar 2025DealProject Master put on the market at EUR 99.5 m
  4. Aug 2025Top seatStrategy stated: infrastructure and rebuild supplier, not a Feadship rival
  5. Dec 2025BuildAll steel and aluminium work on Project Master complete

What it adds up to. A conversion yard that prices risk through a dedicated estimating head and sells through a young business-development seat.

Who runs it

  1. Chief Executive Officer
  2. Head of Business Developmentsince 2023
  3. Operations managersince 2020
  4. Head of Estimating and Proposal Managersince 2021
  5. Technical Managersince 2026
  6. Finance manager (management team)since 2010
  7. Head of Projectssince 2023

Organisation. Owner in Monaco; CEO over heads of projects, estimating and business development

What it shows for a new yard. Owner in Monaco, CEO over heads of projects, estimating and business development: the project-led model.

The top team as read on LinkedIn28 people read as staff, October 2026

CEO over a Head of Projects (from Damen's Qatar yard), Head of Estimating and proposals, Head of Business Development, Technical Manager (2026), operations manager, finance manager on the management team, HR; an owner's advisor; a new Saudi chairman.

ICON is a 40-person conversion and refit yard with an owner in Monaco and, since Sep 2026, a Saudi venture. Its organisation is project-led with a dedicated estimating head, which is how a conversion yard prices risk; the commercial seat is a young business-development head rather than a sales director. Technical leadership turned over in 2026.

Top seat
Senior layer · 9

General management 3

Sales and marketing 1

Engineering and design 2

Production and operations 1

Projects, service and after-sales 1

Finance, legal and IT 1

Managers · 11

Engineering and design 2

Production and operations 5

Projects, service and after-sales 3

People 1

7 more people read as staff below manager level: see them in the directory.

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 ICON Yachts2 in the pools; the shortlisted first, then by tier and score

MC

Marius Ciobanu

Head of Projects at ICON Yachts · Harlingen, Netherlands
COO / technicalPossible matchAt ICON Yachts
70of 200
* Commercial leadership30%No evidence in the profile.
* Yacht network20%No evidence in the profile.
* Technical and pricing20%Head of Projects @ ICON Yachts (Apr 2023 – Present); Overall Project Manager - Super Yachts @ NDSQ – Nakilat Damen Shipyards
* Business building20%No evidence in the profile.
Leadership maturity10%No evidence in the profile.

Reading. Since Apr 2023; Damen's Qatar yard superyacht project manager and Albwardy Damen naval projects before; Galati shipbuilding degree.

Career

  • Head of Projects · ICON Yachts Apr 2023 – Present
  • Project Manager · ICON Yachts Sep 2022 – Apr 2023
  • Project Manager - Naval/Defence · Albwardy Damen Dec 2019 – Jun 2022
  • Overall Project Manager - Super Yachts · NDSQ – Nakilat Damen Shipyards Qatar Jul 2017 – Nov 2019
  • Asst. Project Manager - Super Yachts · NDSQ – Nakilat Damen Shipyards Qatar Dec 2015 – Jun 2017
  • Projects Coordination Manager · NDSQ – Nakilat Damen Shipyards Qatar Oct 2013 – Dec 2015
  • Asst. Project Manager - Super Yachts · Nakilat Damen Shipyards Qatar (NDSQ) Dec 2015 – Jun 2017
  • Projects Coordination Manager · Nakilat Damen Shipyards Qatar(NDSQ) Oct 2013 – Dec 2015

and 7 earlier roles

Education

Universitatea "Dunarea de Jos" Integrated Shipbuiding; Universitatea „Dunărea de Jos” din Galați Bachelor's degree · Ocean Engineering/ Naval Architecture

Languages

Dutch · Elementary proficiency, English · Full professional proficiency, Romanian · Native or bilingual proficiency

LinkedIn profile ·

René Couperus

Head of Estimating / Proposal Manager at ICON Yachts · Netherlands
Hybrid commercial-technicalUnclearAt ICON Yachts
80of 200
* Commercial leadership30%Head of Estimating / Proposal Manager @ ICON Yachts (Oct 2021 – Present)
* Yacht network20%No evidence in the profile.
* Technical and pricing20%Head of Engineering @ ICON Yachts; Project Development Manager
* Business building20%No evidence in the profile.
Leadership maturity10%No evidence in the profile.

Reading. Since Oct 2021; head of engineering and project development before; mechanical engineer. The person who prices ICON's conversions, a technical seat with a commercial face.

Career

  • Head of Estimating / Proposal Manager · ICON Yachts Oct 2021 – Present
  • Head of Engineering · ICON Yachts Jul 2019 – Sep 2021
  • Project Development Manager · ICON Yachts Mar 2016 – Jun 2019
  • Project Manager · ICON Yachts Jul 2014 – Jun 2019
  • Hoofd Verkoop Binnendienst / Manager Sales Office · Holvrieka Nirota BV Mar 2013 – Jul 2014
  • Senior Project Manager · Vuyk Engineering Groningen b.v. Jan 2009 – Mar 2013
  • Parttime Editor · Yellow & Finch Publishers Oct 2010 – Sep 2012
  • Manager Marine & Mechanical Engineering · Vripack Jul 2001 – Dec 2008

and 4 earlier roles

Education

Noordelijke Hogeschool Leeuwarden B.Eng. · Mechanical Engineering; ISBW Opleiding & Training Industrieel management / Industrial engineering and management; MBO College Sneek Mechanical Engineering

LinkedIn profile ·

Facts and news, with sourcesthe research behind the overview

Show the facts and the dated news with their sources

Identity

  • Full name: ICON Yachts B.V. (holding: Icon Yachts Holding B.V.), Harlingen. source
  • Founded: 2005, by investor Ton van Dam and Alex Shnaider. source
  • Headquarters and yard: Lange Lijnbaan 11, 8861 NW Harlingen, Netherlands; about 2.5 km from the North Sea, with no locks. source
  • Yard facilities: covered, heated dry dock of 150 x 33 m (7.5 m maximum draft) and a 90 m floating dock. source
  • Ownership: private. Swiss businessman Micca Ferrero bought "the majority of the shareholdings" of ICON Yachts and related companies (2021-09). No percentage published. source 1 source 2
  • Earlier history: in early 2014 Russian banker Alexander Mazanov bought the company out of bankruptcy. source
  • Sister brands: not found.

Size

  • Employees: not found.
  • Revenue: not found (private company).
  • Boat International Global Order Book position: not found. ICON's current work is mainly conversions, which the order book may not count.

Product

  • Business: conversions of commercial and support vessels into explorer yachts, refits, and new builds. Company describes itself as a builder of "explorer yachts and purpose vessels". source
  • Size range: about 28 m (ICON 100, 2014) to 84 m (ICON 280 design). Main work 60–78 m. source
  • Hull materials: steel hulls, aluminium superstructures (Project Master: "all major steel and aluminium work completed"). source
  • Series / semi-custom / full-custom: all full-custom. Conversions (Project Master, Project UFO, Ragnar / MY Q, Legend) are one-off. Concept lines Mission-M and Mission-L and Project Mission (63.9 m explorer concept) are offered as new-build designs; build status not found. source
  • Notable projects.
    • Project Master: 70 m conversion of the 2001 offshore rescue ship Ocean Ness; design by Espen Øino, interior by Winch Design; steel and aluminium work done at Harlingen by 2025-12; listed for sale at EUR 99.5 million with a 2027 build year. source
    • Project UFO: second 70 m conversion; reported delivered to ICON's pier in Harlingen (2025-07, secondary report; primary not found).
    • Ragnar (now MY Q): 68.2 m conversion of icebreaking supply vessel Sanaborg, launched 2020; changed owner in 2024 and renamed. source
  • Deliveries 2023–2026: not found. No new build or conversion delivery confirmed in this period.

Leadership

  • Owner and co-director: Micca Ferrero — as of 2025-08-26. source
  • CEO: Tony Gale (heads the company since 2020) — as of 2025-08-26. source
  • Head of business development: Friso Hylkema (newly hired) — as of 2022-08-23. source
  • Head of sales and marketing: Paul Manting — date not verified (SuperYacht Times page blocked; quotes a CEO "Wim Koersvelt", so it is likely an older article). source

News 2023 to 2026

  1. 2026-09

    67.5 m Loon (ex-ICON, built by ICON in 2009) was sold.yachtsnl.com

  2. 2025-12

    Boat International reports all major steel and aluminium work on the 70 m Project Master is complete at Harlingen.boatinternational.com

  3. 2025-08

    Interview with owner Micca Ferrero and CEO Tony Gale: ICON has moved from competing with the large Dutch yards to being a "supplier of infrastructure, rebuild expertise and explorer pedigree".boatinternational.com

  4. 2025-03

    Project Master put on the market (brokerage listing, 2027 build year).yachtbuyer.com

  5. 2024-10

    ICON unveils the Project Master interior by Winch Design.iconyachts.eu

  6. 2024-04

    ICON reveals Project Mission interiors by Carla Guilhem.iconyachts.eu

  7. 2023-12

    ICON partners with The International SeaKeepers Society on science-at-sea expeditions and launches the Project Mission explorer concept.iconyachts.eu

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