Heesen Yachts transfers ownership to Dutch foundation

Heesen Yachts has announced that, after a change in ownership, the company is now 100 per cent Dutch.

On April 13, the UK government sanctioned the shipyard’s UBO (ultimate beneficiary owner) Vagit Alekperov, a Russian multibillionaire oil tycoon.

After the news broke, the Dutch firm issued a statement condemning ‘violence in every form’ and saying it’s ‘saddened by the ongoing situation in Ukraine’.

Shares in Heesen have now been transferred from the group’s top Dutch holding company to an independent Dutch foundation, to “guarantee the successful future of the shipyard and the continuity of employment for the highly qualified employees of Heesen Yachts,” the shipyard says in a statement released yesterday.

The board of the foundation consists of Heesen CEO Arthur Brouwer and Anjo Joldersma, chairman of the supervisory board.

In the statement, the company says it remains financially healthy and profitable, with a full order book. “[Heesen] employees can continue to work with their usual dedication and commitment to finishing the 13 yachts currently under construction,” the firm says.