Jan-Bart Verkuyl has taken over as the new CEO of Feadship’s Royal Van Lent yard, replacing Dick van Lent, who has stepped down after over 40 years of service.

Verkuyl will have overall responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the current operation in Kaag, its subsidiaries and the second new yard in Amsterdam when it opens in 2018. 

A passionate sailor, Verkuyl started his career as project manager at the maritime research institute Marin in 1998. He joined Feadship De Voogt Naval Architects in 2006 and went on to hold various key roles related to engineering, design, construction and sales. In 2011, Verkuyl transferred to Royal Van Lent yard and joined the Feadship board of directors three years later.

Van Lent started work at Royal Van Lent as assistant manager in 1974 and became CEO in 1985. He has overseen tremendous growth for the yard and for Feadship, playing a vital role over the past three decades as one of the main public faces of the world’s leading luxury motor yacht builder.

“It has been a pleasure and a privilege to work with so many amazing people over the last 42 years,” comments van Lent. “Feadship attracts the most ambitious and quality-driven clients in the superyacht world and I am delighted that their future and that of the Feadship family is safe and secure with a new generation of leaders at the helm. I look forward to playing a background support role in this new era of success.”

“It is a great honour for me to take over the helm of Royal van Lent at a time when we have just announced the construction of a second facility in Amsterdam,” says Verkuyl. “I am extremely grateful for the support I have had from Dick as a mentor and delighted that he will continue to put his decades of experience to great use at a time when Feadship is entering a new phase of growth based on market demand. There is so much to look forward to as we work with new and current clients on innovative projects which further enhance the Feadship fleet.”