McMullen & Wing announces new staff to help with 50m yacht

McMullen & Wing has announced a variety of senior appointments to help lead the company in the delivery of their current 50m custom luxury expedition yacht project, as well as several further projects in development.

Stef Smeenk, experienced yacht builder and Dutch national, has been appointed as the production manager, bringing eight years’ experience in a similar role as manager with Feadship. At McMullen & Wing, Smeenk has overall responsibility for all building operations at the shipyard, directing operations through an experienced team of six departmental supervisors.

New Zealander Steve Bates joins McMullen & Wing as design manager, from fellow New Zealand superyacht builder Alloy Yachts. Bates brings over 20 years’ experience across the full range of design disciplines, with a particular specialty in systems engineering. He has responsibility for all design activities, managing McMullen & Wing’s multi-disciplinary in-house design office, through a design leadership team of four departmental lead designers.

Fellow well-known New Zealander and former yacht captain Richard Low joins McMullen & Wing as project coordinator.  Low has over 20 years’ and  some 300,000 nautical miles of experience as captain and chief engineer on a range of sailing and motor yachts, most notably the 45m Imagine D and 33m Imagine B. Low will play a lead role in liaison between McMullen & Wing and the clients’ project teams.

Long-time McMullen & Wing team member Jeff Porter has been appointed to the role of chief technical officer with the responsibility for overall technical delivery. Porter is a professional engineer with 18 years yacht building experience at McMullen & Wing including design management and project management.

Overall leadership of the organisation has been assigned to Michael Eaglen, who takes the role of chief executive, having been commercial manager for the past three years. Eaglen’s own background is also technical, having qualified as a naval architect and spent time as a designer, engineer and more recently manager of New Zealand-based global composites engineering consultancy High Modulus (now Gurit).

McMullen & Wing recently signed a contract for a 50m steel/aluminium motor yacht, a close sister ship to their multi award winning 45m Big Fish.  The new yacht, known only by its yard number “1016” will be delivered in early 2016.

For more information, visit McMullen & Wing.

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