Hill Robinson Yacht Management Achieves 15 Year Milestone

Nick Hill and Niall Robinson opened their London and Antibes offices in early 2001 with six yachts under management and a team of four. The founders’ intention was to provide a menu of independent services to support clients with the smooth running of their yachts.

Today, 15 years on, the company is thriving with a team combining youth and ambition with seasoned experts, and numerous key projects under their belts. This mix of passionate, multilingual staff underpins their success in the highly competitive superyacht management marketplace.

There have been many milestones to date, including the opening of their operational office in Ft Lauderdale (with eight staff), and several other offices across the world, each with its own speciality. Hill Robinson's services now include charter management, new construction and special projects, crew employment and corporate services (Hill Robinson Ltd is regulated by FSA).

Management team from left: Barrett Wright, Nick Hill, Karl Hartmann, Mark Davies, Niall Robinson

Working with Nick and Niall, Karl Hartmann joined Hill Robinson in 2006 and is now Director Special Projects for new builds and refits. Yacht Charter Management has also become a key department as more yacht owners see the benefits of connecting yacht management with charter revenues.

Some of the well known sailing vessels in their superyacht fleet include Aglaia and Maltese Falcon, while motor yachts include C2, Amaryllis and Mogambo.

Nick Hill recalls, “Talking to Niall while sailing one day, we both commented that we were getting feedback from captains and, more importantly, owners, that there was a definite need for an independent approach to yacht management. That became the catalyst to founding Hill Robinson International in London in December 2000, followed by opening our French Riviera offices in Antibes in April 2001. Niall and I had many years of hands-on experience both operating yachts and being involved in project management for both sail and power, which was our springboard to launch a highly professional enterprise from day one. Our fresh approach quickly gained recognition, in turn attracting like-minded professionals from many fields who wanted to join our dynamic, fast growing international business.’’

The Hill Robinson team at our Seminar, Juan Les Pins

Niall adds, “Nick and I have worked relentlessly over the past fifteen years and we see our enterprise growing continuously from our current position of over 50 staff in five strategic office locations around the globe. The superyacht industry has evolved and changed dramatically since Nick and I started out, which has kept us on our toes. We all thrive on challenges at Hill Robinson and our team certainly rise to meet the occasion for our yacht owners, from legal and financial aspects through to crew, operations and engineering. Having a really motivated, enthusiastic, professional and talented team is the fundamental key that has always been our cornerstone and will drive our business forward for the next period.''

*Images courtesy of Hill Robinson