GMBA consultant receives ICOMIA Golden Cleat Award

Majorca-based Oscar Siches has been awarded the first ICOMIA Marinas Group (IMG) Golden Cleat Marina Award. This is designed to honour outstanding individuals who have demonstrated a true commitment to the global marina community throughout their careers.

“While this award recognises a ‘lifetime of dedication’, we certainly hope it doesn’t end there,” says Suzanne Davies, CEO Marina Industries Association. “Oscar has been a great contributor globally and has shared his insights and knowledge over the years addressing our biennial Marinas International Conference and trade exhibition and we look forward to that continuing for some time yet.”

“Well established awards reinforce the feeling of belonging to any organisation,” says Siches, a GMBA consultant. “Awards send two messages: the first is the recognition of an exceptional performance by the winner. The second is that the reception of the award is not over when the ceremony finishes. The recipient should remain, as much as possible an example to be followed, encouraging peers and fellow industry colleagues to excel in what they do and become candidates for the award’s following editions. The honour of receiving the first Golden Cleat Award is humbling and I will work to be the best ambassador possible for our industry.”

Siches has considerable experience in the boating industry having skippered sail and power yachts in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean, both for private and charter clients. He gained first-hand knowledge of the industry as a partner and manager of two marinas in Palma de Mallorca, over a period of 15 years. He currently consults on the design and operation of marina projects in various countries and is a designer of customised marina elements.

Siches is also a certified marina professional, member of ICOMIA’s marinas committee, member of PIANC recreational navigation committee, convenor (coordinator) of work group ‘yacht harbours’ at the ISO organisation, and founding member of the Asia Pacific Superyacht Association and the Global Marina Institute, where he served six years as a director. He’s spoken at more than 30 marina conferences in 12 countries in the last 14 years. He is one of the main contributors to Marina World magazine, and a columnist in a local Mallorca nautical publication.