Rolls-Royce appoints Christian Paolini as head of Team Italia Marine
Christian Paolini, head of Team Italia Marine at Rolls-Royce.
Rolls-Royce Power Systems has appointed Christian Paolini as managing director and sales director of Team Italia Marine, its yacht bridge and automation subsidiary.
The news comes after Rolls-Royce acquired Team Italia/Onyx Marine in June 2023.
Team Italia Marine, based in Fano on the Adriatic coast, was founded in 2000 and supplies integrated bridge systems primarily for large, often customised, superyachts built in Italy. The company has delivered over 700 bridge solutions.
Team Italia Marine bridges feature large touch screens that enable control of ship systems such as navigation, radio communication, propulsion and monitoring via a single interface.
Paolini, who has over two decades of experience in maritime technology, previously held the role of sales manager at Rolls-Royce Solutions Italia. He has been involved with the company since its acquisition.
These bridge solutions are now part of the firm’s mtu “Bridge to Propeller” product portfolio, which integrates engines, automation and propulsion systems under one brand. Rolls-Royce says it plans to expand the offering to standardised systems for production yachts while maintaining its custom solutions.
“With this comprehensive portfolio under our mtu brand, we have an exclusive position in the yacht market, offering integrated solutions for the entire propulsion train as well as automation and control systems for large yachts,” says Denise Kurtulus, senior vice president global marine at Rolls-Royce Power Systems. “We are now entering a new phase in the development of bridge solutions for yachts. Christian Paolini will lead our specialists in Italy into a promising future, building on the global presence of the mtu brand.”
Paolini adds: “We are ready for the next technological leap: integrated bridges that not only enable to accept predictive maintenance solutions but also utilise artificial intelligence to give the captain and their crew completely new options for operating the ship optimal and safely.
“We will continue to internationalise our business by expanding our customer base with European customers outside of Italy as a first step. And we will expand our product portfolio to include standardised products for series yachts while continuing to offer our customers technologically sophisticated solutions for their individual products.”
Rolls-Royce Power Systems is based in Friedrichshafen, Germany, and employs around 10,350 people. Its mtu product range includes engines and propulsion systems for marine, rail, defence and industrial applications, alongside power generation systems.
Rolls-Royce Power Systems reported record 2024 results, with revenue up 11 per cent to €5.05bn, operating profit rising 40 per cent to €662m and return on sales reaching 13.1 per cent.
Parent company Rolls-Royce Holdings recorded £17.8bn in revenue and £2.46bn in underlying operating profit in 2024.
