Bob Allen

Robert Allen Law

Founding Partner

Robert N. (“Bob”) Allen, Jr., is the founder of Robert Allen Law, one of the world’s largest law firms focused on the yacht industry. Based in Miami and Palm Beach, and by appointment anywhere in the world, the Robert Allen Law legal team represents buyers, sellers, manufacturers, dealers, brokerages and brokers, as well as banks, with respect to yachts, superyachts, and yacht related business wherever located.

Bob has over 40 years of experience counseling U.S. and multinational clients. Robert Allen Law provides advice regarding transactions, litigation, corporate matters, tax, real estate and immigration. The firm serves as the legal advisor in the Americas to many of the world’s leading yacht manufacturers and yacht brokerages, whether based in Europe or the U.S., as well as to the International Yacht Brokers Association “IYBA.”

Bob was the primary drafter of the IYBA Purchase and Sale and Listing Agreements, which have become the industry standard. He has been a regular contributor to Compass, the IYBA’s periodical, and frequent speaker at seminars involving the yachting industry in London, Monaco and Florida.

He lives in Juno Beach, is married, has a son, attended New College in Sarasota and Notre Dame Law School. He has also lived in the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Spain and Guatemala. Bob is ranked by the Chambers Guide as one of the Best Yacht Lawyers in the World and as a top lawyer in South Florida by the South Florida Legal Guide. He also serves or has served his community in diverse ways such, among many ways, being the Founding Chairman of Miami Bridge, a half-way house for runaway teenagers www.miamibridge.org and the Founding Chairman of the Palm Beach Freedom Institute, a Florida-based think-tank www.palmbeachfreedom.org. He also served as legal counsel to the Republican Party, was on the winning side in the historic Bush v. Gore litigation, and has been an advisor to Florida’s governors on judicial appointments.

Pietro Berardi

Sanlorenzo Americas

CEO

Biography coming soon 

AJ Blackmon

Ikonic Yachts

CEO

As CEO of Ikonic Yachts, AJ is a leading expert in the Global Super Yacht brokerage and charter markets. Having represented some of the worlds most prominent UHNW charter clients, buyers and sellers of yachts up to 85 meters, he delivers investment-level advice to create value for his clientele.

Ikonic is a fully integrated yachting ecosystem with a focus on extraordinary service and industry leading asset management and valuation. With over $1B in transactions to date, the Ikonic team continues to focus on delivering an exceptional experience in yacht ownership and charter.

AJ is an advocate of Inspiring others to chase their dreams through entrepreneurship

Johan Blitz

UBS Aviation & Yacht Finance

Managing Director Global Head Aviation & Yacht Finance 

Johan is Swedish by heritage, Swiss at heart. After growing up in Switzerland, he started his career in commodity trading and soon discovered his passion for aircraft financing at a large financial institution. In 2006, he was appointed by UBS to launch aircraft finance on their product shelf. Under his leadership, and in less than a decade, UBS became a recognized specialist in corporate aircraft finance as part of its wealth management business, earning top industry awards. In 2024, he led the integration of two outstanding teams in aviation finance and launched UBS’s yacht financing offering. With a BSc in Business Administration from the University of Applied Sciences in Zurich and specialist certifications, he has built his career around connecting people since 1999. As a Certified Corporate Banker, he is passionate about creating tailored solutions in aviation and yacht finance.

Michael Busacca

Fraser

COO

Biography coming soon 

Nick Bischoff

Cantiere delle Marche

Director

Nick Bischoff is a second-generation yacht sales consultant in the marine industry, having grown up around his family’s marinas where he watched his father thrive in yacht sales across New England, Hawaii, and South Florida. This unique upbringing helped Nick develop business and relationship skills early on that continues to be a work in progress.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in Business Management, Nick signed on with Boston Whaler, an iconic New England boat builder. There, he quickly learned the value of working with such a respected brand and saw firsthand why it attracted top dealers and clients. Having worked for all four of Whaler’s owners, he looks back on his experience and realizes that the true stewards of the Boston Whaler brand were their loyal dealers, and loyal customers – of which he was both.

Nick leveraged his experience at Boston Whaler to propel his career, working with renowned companies like Allied Richard Bertram Marine Group, Caribee Boat Sales, Tiara Yachts, Powerquest Boats, Hinckley Yachts, Sunseeker Yachts and Benetti – brands considered today to be held in high regard by those who know boats.

His passion for boats took root at age five while accompanying his father at their Old Saybrook boat yard on the Connecticut River and Long Island Sound. He could never have guessed where this path would lead as he followed his father from the bilges of Pacemaker Yachts to the Norwalk Boat Show, and eventually to Fort Lauderdale, Florida in 1978.

When the family moved from Fort Lauderdale in 1981 to Hyannis, Nick spent his teen years working for his Dad at Hyannis Yacht Sales, the dealer for Ocean Yachts, Phoenix, Shamrock, and Blackfin for Cape Cod and the Islands. Here, Nick tackled every job needed to build character: bright work, bottom painting, pressure washing, detailing boats, hauling garbage, and fetching coffee for sales staff and technicians. Nick looks back at those times on Cape Cod as incredible building blocks for a future in yacht sales.

During college, Nick worked for Rantuccio Boat Works, a respected boat craftsman on Cape Cod that customized Down East, Maine-built boats like JC, Jarvis Newman, Wilbur, and Northcoast. After that cup of coffee, he vowed never to grind or lay fiberglass again. Working for Kevin Rantuccio during those years helped Nick appreciate the art of boat building – all boats and yachts are not created equally he soon realized.

Nick is now leading sales for Cantiere delle Marche in the Americas, widely acclaimed as the premier exploration yacht builder.

Chuck Cashman

MarineMax

Chief Revenue Officer

Biography coming soon

Tim Hamilton

Lurssen Americas

Director,  Lurssen Americas.  

In his role, Tim focuses on sales of new builds and refits for Lurssen in North and South America as well as providing shoreside support for Lurssens cruising in the Americas.  Prior to working for Lurssen, Tim was the Director of Feadship America in a similar role and has also represented the Rodriguez Group in the Americas markets.  Tim lives in Fort Lauderdale and is the father of three young daughters. Fun fact: he rowed across the Atlantic Ocean in 2024!

Boomer Jousma

The Italian Yacht Group

Sales Director

Adrian Karborani

Robert Allen Law

Partner

Biography coming soon

Eric Lewin

AIC Global Solutions

CEO 

Eric is the CEO of AIC Global Solutions.

AIC Global Solutions is a transaction closing platform based in London that is available 24/7. Deal types closed through AIC Global Solutions include: asset trading; finance; M&A; dispute resolution; and special situations.

From 2021-2026, Eric was the Vice Chair of the Sales and Acquisitions Committee of the European Business Aviation Association.

Eric is a highly experienced finance and legal professional who has worked with some of the largest and most prestigious institutions globally.

Robb Maass

Alley, Maass, Rogers & Lindsay

Shareholder

Robb Maass is a shareholder and president of Alley, Maass, Rogers & Lindsay, P.A., a full-service law firm with offices in Palm Beach, Florida. He holds an A.B. from Princeton University and a J.D. from Yale Law School. Mr. Maass heads the firm’s Maritime Department, which specializes in yacht transactions. He and the other lawyers in his department represent a broad spectrum of the marine industry, including yacht owners, crew, manufacturers, dealers, brokers, and vendors. He was recently reappointed as a director of the Maritime Authority of the Cayman Islands, which includes the Cayman Islands Shipping Registry.

Nathan Mersereau

Planning Alternatives

President

Biography coming soon 

Louis Montello

Montello Law

Attorney 

Founder and Attorney Mr. Montello has over 35 years ’ experience as a transactional attorney and is the founder and principal of Montello Law. His law practice covers a broad spectrum of areas including maritime law (including yacht construction matters) , commercial and residential real estate closings, real estate development and construction, mergers and acquisitions, corporate and securities law (including private placements), finance, litigation, and aviation law.

Mr. Montello als o had broad business experience as a principal in a variety of businesses. Mr. Montello ’ s experience includes being an owner and officer of a fixed based operator located at Fort Lauderdale International Airport. Mr. Montello also formed Regalia Beach Deve lopers in March 2011 and served as its President. Mr. Montello assembled an impressive team of experienced development and construction personnel to develop Regalia, a luxury residential high – rise condominium located in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida.

Mr. Mont ello is originally from Stamford, Connecticut. Upon graduation from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in 1980, he moved to Miami where he served as Operations Officer and Navigator aboard a U.S. Coast Guard Cutter homeported in Miami Beach, Florida. He graduate d from the University of Miami Law School cum laude in 1986, and immediately took a position with Greenberg Traurig, where he worked until he formed his own law firm in 1992.

Phil Noad

Cayman Registry

Panos Pourgourides

Hill Dickinson

Partner

Panos Pourgourides is a partner and head of the Superyachts team at leading commercial law firm Hill Dickinson, specialising in every aspect of superyacht ownership, from construction and financing through to sale, purchase and operation. Since qualifying in 1996, Panos has acted for owners, brokers, banks and intermediaries worldwide, including almost all of the major lenders in the sector.

Over the course of his career Panos has handled dozens of high-value transactions for yachts typically ranging from 60m to 130m and beyond. His work also covers related contracts across design, project management and private aviation. Clients value his ability to focus on what matters to them while quietly taking care of the details in the background.

Chandler Rierson

Bay Point Advisors

Managing Director

Biography coming soon

John Samuel

Virgin Islands Shipping Registry

Director

Biography coming soon

Jane Turner

Centtrip

CEO

Jane is an international IP/platform strategist and one of the UK’s top female technology leaders. Under her leadership, Centtrip has delivered award-winning growth while transforming its operations, infrastructure and product offering.

Today, Centtrip’s unique, end-to-end, Premium Asset Lifecycle Management capability provides alternative banking solutions for high-value, internationally-mobile assets such as superyachts, private jets, film productions and touring artists. The business has enjoyed recognition in J.P. Morgan’s Top 200 Female-Powered Businesses, Dun & Bradstreet’s Accelerate 50 list of fast-growth technology companies and the Sunday Times Sage Tech Track 100.

Jane’s previous career spans both multinational PLCs and start-ups. As Group Managing Director, she led Centaur Media’s digital transformation, growing annual revenues by 58%.
As MD of Chorion, she developed global TV, Film and licencing franchise for iconic publishing estates. As CEO of Bright Station Ventures she led the venture arm overseeing investments in several leading edge fintech and media technology platforms.

She is a graduate of the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.

Lisa Verbit

Bank of America

National Yacht Executive

As National Yacht Executive, Verbit is responsible for the yacht lending program within Global Wealth and Investment Management, supporting Merrill and Private Bank advisor teams in delivering yacht lending solutions to High Net Worth and Ultra-High Net Worth clients.

Verbit began her career with the bank in 1984 as a teller while in college. After graduating from college she was a branch manager before joining the Private Bank in 1989 as a relationship manager in the yacht division. In 2002 she assumed the role of National Yacht Executive.

Born in Charleston, South Carolina and raised in Venice, Florida, Verbit earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of South Florida in 1987.

Verbit lives in Fort Lauderdale, Florida since 1988.

Bryce Wagner

Mercy Ships

Biography coming soon

Giles Whitby-Smith

Bitcashier

CEO

With a background as an investment banker in London, Giles Whitby-Smith combines his extensive knowledge of financial instruments and a prosperous entrepreneurial track record to lead Bitcashier as a co-founder. Under his guidance, Bitcashier has emerged as a trusted brand not only in the Yachting industry but also as a secure and seamless crypto payment solution within the iGaming, Betting, and Gambling sectors. Bitcashier’s platform is fully regulated, assuring ease of use and smooth risk-free transactions for entities eager to leverage cryptocurrency for operational efficiency. Beyond these realms, Bitcashier also caters to a variety of other industries, including Real Estate, Luxury Goods, and Private Jets, offering best execution and settlement rates for buying and selling crypto, along with the capability to pay suppliers and clients seamlessly in crypto or fiat.

Barrett Wright

Hill Robinson Group

President

Barrett Wright is President of Hill Robinson USA, where she oversees the company’s U.S. operations and advises yacht owners, family offices, and industry stakeholders on the strategic, operational, and regulatory complexities of yacht ownership and management.

Barrett’s career began at Sotheby’s before she entered the yachting industry in 2003, serving aboard sailing yachts and gaining firsthand operational experience at sea. She later transitioned ashore, joining acclaimed yacht designer Ted Fontaine at Fontaine Design Group and Friendship Yacht Company in Newport, Rhode Island, where she strengthened her knowledge of yacht design, the build process and owner representation.

In 2011, Barrett joined Hill Robinson as a Yacht Accountant, rapidly expanding her responsibilities across yacht operations, financial administration, compliance, and owner services. Her broad industry knowledge and leadership capabilities led to her appointment as President of Hill Robinson USA in 2015.

With more than two decades of experience in the superyacht industry, Barrett is recognized for her practical, solutions-oriented approach to yacht ownership. She specializes in helping owners navigate the regulatory, operational, financial, and crew management considerations associated with owning and operating yachts in U.S. and international waters. Her expertise is particularly valued in matters involving pre-purchase considerations, flag state compliance, charter operations, and U.S. regulatory requirements.

A respected industry leader and frequent speaker, Barrett participates in international forums and conferences, including MARE Forum events, and has been featured in numerous industry publications and podcasts. She currently serves as Co-Chair of the Education Committee for the International Superyacht Society (ISS), is a Board Member of Yacht Femme, and is an active member of the International Yacht Brokers Association (IYBA).