Generation Change in the management of Bavaria Yachts

Norbert Leifeld will take over as CEO from Michael Müller © Bavaria Yachts

Norbert Leifeld will take over as CEO from Michael Müller. Together with Thorsten Gatz (CFO), he will manage the shipyard in future.

BAVARIA YACHTS continues to consistently pursue its successful strategy. The next milestone is the planned generational change in management. With immediate effect, Norbert Leifeld will take over as CEO from Michael Müller. Norbert Leifeld has been COO of BAVARIA YACHTS since 2023 and previously worked for 15 years as a consultant in the areas of product strategy, product development and production at Germany's most renowned shipyard. Within Bavaria Holding, he also acts as President de la Societe for the French catamaran shipyard Nautitech. Thorsten Gatz has been responsible for the shipyard's finances since 2022.

Michael Müller took over as CEO of BAVARIA YACHTS in 2019 and played a key role in the development of all new sailing yachts in the successful BAVARIA C-Line and the motorboats in the new BAVARIA SR-Line. From 1 July, Michael Müller will join the Advisory Board of Bavaria Yachtbau Holding under the leadership of Advisory Board Chairman Kai Brandes (CMP). He will therefore continue to be available to the Bavaria management as a contact person. In addition, Dr Hans-Peter Mertens (Chairman of the Stürtz Group, among others) has been appointed as a further member of the Advisory Board.

"On behalf of the Advisory Board of BAVARIA YACHTS Holding and the entire workforce, I would like to express my thanks and deep respect to Michael Müller for his work as CEO of BAVARIA. The challenges of recent years - be it the pandemic, supply chain problems or the coronavirus hype - have always been very demanding. BAVARIA has mastered them all. I am delighted that he will continue to support us as a member of the Advisory Board," explains Kai Brandes, Chairman of the Advisory Board of BAVARIA YACHTS and Managing Partner of the Berlin-based investor CMP.

"At the same time, I am delighted that we have been able to appoint Norbert Leifeld as our new CEO. We have been working successfully with him for over seven years. During this time, Norbert Leifeld has successfully managed numerous important projects for BAVARIA YACHTS to the great appreciation of employees, management, suppliers and our dealers. No one knows BAVARIA YACHTS and the yacht industry from different perspectives as well as he does," continues Kai Brandes.

With its new organisation, Bavaria Yachts feels that it is ideally equipped for the future. By successfully implementing "breathing" production to compensate for fluctuating market requirements in production, BAVARIA YACHTS already prepared itself two years ago for the challenges of a cooling economy

The current model range of sailing and motor yachts, which meets the current market requirements of discerning customers, is now to be expanded to include e-drives in order to attract new customers. In future, the focus will be more on maintaining and acquiring new customers. The Bavaria Family of future and existing owners will benefit from an optimised customer journey, an expanded network of Bavaria Service Centres, a wider range of aftersales services and training courses.