Augusto Balestra, 56, and Mario Gardini, 58, have both now been listed as directors for the Poole-based luxury yacht maker on Companies House. Both Italians, Mr Balestra is the chief executive at Orienta Partners while Mr Gardini is the president of the same company. Orienta Capital Partners, along with Miami-based Lionheart Capital, bought Sunseeker from its previous Chinese owners last month.
Andrea Frabetti, the chief executive of Sunseeker International since 2019, crushed any concern about moving any of its workforce elsewhere. Sunseeker employed 1,863 people at the end of 2022, the most recent accounts show, including 1,602 in manufacturing. Mr Frabetti said Ophir Sternberg, chief executive of Lionheart, will be an “active” co-owner of the business.
He added that new owners Orienta and Lionheart “will leverage their proven expertise in the yachting industry” to support Sunseeker’s development. Sunseeker was founded in by Robert Braithwaite in 1969, as Friars Cliff Marine, selling other companies’ boats..
