History
In October 2002, Robert Braithwaite, the founder of Sunseeker International, was named Ernst & Young's UK Entrepreneur of the Year.[7]
In 2006 Robert Braithwaite led a £44 million management buyout of the company, backed by Bank of Scotland.[8]
The company features in the 2008 Sunday Times list Profit Track 100 of the most profitable non-listed companies and in the Top Track 250 list of mid-sized non-listed companies.[8]
In 2010, Irish private equity firm FL Partners took over ownership of Sunseeker through a debt restructuring deal after Sunseeker posted losses the previous year.[9][10]
On 19 June 2013 it was announced that the Chinese conglomerate Dalian Wanda Group had agreed to buy a 91.8% stake in Sunseeker for £320M. As reported, it has been promised that the day-to-day running of Sunseeker in Poole will be unaffected, with its 2,500-strong workforce keeping their jobs. The deal was completed mid August 2013.[11]
In January 2015, Phil Popham was appointed as the company's new chief executive officer.[12]
In June 2019, Sunseeker announced that Andrea Frabetti, formerly Chief Technical Officer at Sunseeker, replaced Christian Marti as CEO. Prior to his time at Sunseeker, Frabetti worked at Italian superyacht manufacturer Ferretti Group for over 25 years, including time as vice president of product development, as well as at Diesel Center SPA as CEO. Marti came on board as Sunseeker's CEO in November 2018 following the departure of Phil Popham.[13]
In 2024, Sunseeker changed ownership again to two private equity firms, Lionheart Capital from the U.S. and Italy’s Orienta Capital Partners, acquired the company from Dalian Wanda Group. The deal was officially announced at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show in October 2024.[14] This acquisition by Lionheart and Orienta Capital aims to further strengthen Sunseeker's brand globally while expanding its reach in both the North American and European luxury yacht markets.
