Australia’s Ahoy Club merges with Ray White Marine
Ahoy Club, the Australian charter and brokerage firm owned by the Malouf family, has taken a ‘significant stake’ in yacht brokerage company Ray White Marine, a leading player in the luxury yachting industry headed up by the Rodwell family.
The merger, overseen by Ahoy Club managing director Ian Malouf and CEO Ellie Malouf, allows the company to increase its market share in Australia and New Zealand, adding to its brand positioning globally.
Ellie Malouf says: “Combining the strengths of both companies opens new opportunities for collaboration and innovation in this space. We’ve made this decision to strengthen our customer offering and to drive expansion. Strategically for us, having more experts available in key locations is an important part of this merger. Clients will now be able to access us across several offices in Australia and New Zealand including Double Bay and Elizabeth Bay in Sydney, the Gold Coast, Auckland CBD, the Whitsundays and our the prestige showroom in Melbourne with Zagame Automotive Group.”
Gold Coast-headquartered Ray White Marine, a yacht brokerage and new vessel distributor supported by the White family – known for their large property group in Australasia – is recognised for its sales performance and expertise with European luxury yacht dealerships across Australia and New Zealand.
In line with the merger, Brock Rodwell has been appointed as CEO of Ray White Marine after a strong 11-year history of brand establishment and international sales by himself and his father Rick Rodwell. Rick remains with the business in sales to ensure his experience continues with the merged group.
The Rodwells and their team have exclusive Australia and New Zealand distributorship rights of Ferretti Group which includes the Riva Yachts brand, Sunreef Yachts and Technohull high performance offshore tenders. Ray White Marine will continue to carry all the new vessel brands and brokerage divisions. Ahoy Club, which recently celebrated its fifth birthday, will focus on its expertise in yacht charters, management and larger scale superyacht sales.
“Ray White Marine is excited to join forces with Ellie and her team at Ahoy Club. In a short period of time they have become a main player in our industry when it comes to charter and professional yacht management, integrating a proven sales team was the next natural step. The merger will complement each business in many ways others won’t be able to match,” Rodwell said.
As Ahoy Club continues to grow the yacht brokerage division globally, Brock Rodwell will also lead the global brand as head of yacht sales for Ahoy Club, Asia-Pacific.
