Sunseeker appoints permanent CEO
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The British shipyard has announced the successor of its interim CEO, while also announcing a new Chairman.
Andrés Rubio, CEO, Sunseeker
Sunseeker has appointed Andrés Rubio as its permanent CEO after confirming that the British shipyard has secured new owners. A debt purchase from the existing lenders by a consortium led by KCP, in partnership with Lionheart Capital, is expected to be completed this week, with the KCP group also set to enter into an agreement to purchase 100 per cent of the shares in Sunseeker.
The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals, expected in the coming weeks, during which period the business will continue to operate as normal. Founded in 1952, KCP has teams in New York, Washington, London and Singapore.
Antony Sheriff, who has been a Board Member of Sunseeker since November 2024, will become Non-Executive Chairman. Sheriff was CEO of McLaren Automotive before becoming CEO and Executive Chairman of Princess Yachts, leaving the Plymouth shipyard in 2023.
Rubio succeeds Interim CEO Scott Millar of Teneo Financial Advisory, who took over the position in early December after the resignation of Andrea Frabetti. The Italian had been CEO since July 2019 after joining Sunseeker the previous year as Chief Technical Officer.
Rubio has a 30-year track record in commercial leadership and business transformation across the US, Europe and Asia. He was most recently the CEO of Intrum AB, a publicly listed pan-European credit management business, and prior to that served as a Senior Partner at Apollo Management International.
“I have long admired Sunseeker as the pinnacle of luxury yacht building, and its heritage genuinely sets it apart. It is an honour to be leading the business at such an exciting time and with a clear path to transformative growth,” Rubio said.
“I am also privileged to be joining a highly experienced leadership team and a dedicated workforce who are the heart and soul of the Sunseeker brand. We now have committed owners, an established leadership team, an industry-leading Chairman, and a clear plan. With the backing of KCP and Lionheart, and an accelerated focus on delivering our ambitions, I look forward to the opportunities ahead.”
