Diane Byrne, MegayachtNews.com

USSA Vice Chair

Diane M. Byrne is a veteran journalist adept at delivering the right message to the right audience. She owns RedHedInk, a marketing and editorial services company. She is also the founder and editor of MegayachtNews.com, the only website educating American luxury-yacht owners, buyers, and their circles of influence about the yachting lifestyle. She further co-owns the custom book-publishing company Superyacht Storytellers.

Diane is closely involved with leading professional organizations. Besides being Vice Chair of the U.S. Superyacht Association, shes a member of the New Jersey Association of Women Business Owners and a trustee of Sempre Avanti, a non-profit supporting Italian and Italian-American individuals and businesses.

Julia Russell

Marketing Manager, Global Marine Travel

Mentorship Chair, Young Professionals in Yachting (YPY USA)

Julia Russell received her induction into the Marine Industry in 2016 working for the well-known superyacht magazine, Boat International. With travel being one of her many passions, Julia then teamed up with world-renowned maritime travel agency, Global Marine Travel, as their Marketing Manager in early 2018, bringing expertise in both the yachting sector and the digital marketing world we now live in. Julia was recently appointed Mentorship Program Chair for the Young Professionals in Yachting USA Chapter and is an active member of the Marine Industry Association of South Florida, US Superyacht Association and the International Yacht Brokers Association.

Rafael Betts, Pantropic Power, Inc

Marine Service & Product Support Manager

Rafael Betts has enjoyed a successful career in Sales and Operations for over 27 years. During the past 15 years he has been focused primarily on the marine industry, with a heavy emphasis on the service side of the Super Yacht and Sport Fishing sector.  Rafael currently assumes the role of Marine Service & Product Support Manager at Pantropic Power; the local CAT dealer for all of South Florida. As Marine Service & Product Support Manager, his position requires him to  identify market opportunities while managing the organizations resources, assets and the day to day service operations.  The team of Professionals that he manages, oversee hundreds of projects in the Marine industry throughout South Florida and the Caribbean.  

Rafael is the founder of Ground Zero With Rafael a mentoring, coaching and public speaking platform that emphasizes personal growth with a Be good, Get Better, Be

The Best attitude.

Rafael is second degree black belt and accomplished athlete.  In his leisure time, Rafael enjoys an active lifestyle with his family & friends that includes golfing, soccer, attending UM Football games and pretty much anything that is sports related. 

Brant Craft, Craft Yacht Service

After spending his college summers working as a deckhand on yachts in Long Island, Brant spent his post college years working in the corporate world and then as an entrepreneur in tech and property management in Nashville, Tennessee. He moved to South Florida in 2016 to start Craft Yacht Management, a full-service yacht management company for yachts 30' to 100'. With a fresh perspective and an obsession with technology, he constantly challenges the norms of the industry and looks to push it to a higher standard.

Katie Hagan, FHG Marine Engineering, Inc.

Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer

Katie Hagan is co-founder and Chief Operating Officer at FHG Marine Engineering Inc. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of San Diego with a degree in International Relations. While at USD, she sailed with Semester at Sea, circumnavigating the globe aboard the MV Explorer. As an Asian Studies Minor, she later lived and worked abroad in Chongqing, China. Before FHG, she was a humanitarian with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Delegation to the United Nations in New York and the ICRC Regional Delegation in Washington, D.C. She has traveled to around 30 countries. She serves as the Volunteer Committee Chair on the Board of YPY USA, as an ECOMER Official Partner and Executive Club Member of Yachts DuCoeur, on the Seafarer's House Golden Compass Committee, and as a member of MIASF and WISTA.

Richard Grennen, FHG Marine Engineering, Inc.

Co-Founder and CEO

Richard is co-founder and CEO at FHG Marine Engineering Inc. He graduated from the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) with a degree in Marine Engineering. He gained experience on cargo ships, cable laying vessels, cruise ships, and US Navy vessels while upgrading his USCG License to First Assistant Engineer Diesel Unlimited Horsepower, Second Assistant Engineer Steam Unlimited Horsepower, and Second Assistant Engineer Gas Turbine. He also has years of experience working on luxury and superyachts. He is a member of Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME), MIASF, IYBA, and YPY.

Bob Saxon, Bob Saxon Consultancy

Bob Saxon has realized four decades in the megayacht marketplace during which time he has participated in virtually every aspect of the industry including sales, charter, crewing and yacht management. He is founding and four term President of the International Superyacht Society (ISS), currently President of the International Yacht Brokers Association (IYBA), and recipient of the coveted ISS Lifetime Achievement Award.  Bob was inducted into the International Charter Brokers Hall-of-Fame in 2019.  Both of these awards are in acknowledgement of his collective body of work for and on behalf of the yachting industry-at-large.

This educational webinar is sponsored by:

Marine Group Boat Works is a full-service Superyacht repair and refit facility with two haul-out locations in San Diego and one in Cabo. It specializes in conversions, hull extensions, full paint, centerboard services, engine re-powers, custom metal fabrications and ABS- and Lloyds classed surveys. Its 665-ton travelift gives Marine Group the capacity to haul up to 220' (67 m) while its 300-ton travelift can haul up to 150' (45m). Additionally, the Cabo location has a 150-ton travelift, dry storage for boats up to 33' (10m) and an on-site marine store for parts and accessories. Captain and crew amenities include concierge service, private offices, WiFi, galley and kitchen facility, gym, showers, postal service and reserved parking.  

www.marinegroupboatworks.com