Newcastle superyacht company West Nautical appoint two new senior team members

West Nautical, the international superyacht company with head offices in Newcastle upon Tyne, have announced the appointment of two new senior team members as the company continues to grow and expand internationally, most recently with expansion to Dubai.

Neil Schofield is the company’s new Chief Operating Officer, and Paul Williams has joined the team as Client Manager. Both will be operating from the central Newcastle office in Jesmond.  

The appointments are instrumental in the ongoing development of the company’s UK & European, Eastern European and Dubai offices, as the start of several progressive changes within the company planned for 2024. West Nautical will continue to develop their strong and sustainable reputation, consolidating their position as a leader in delivering high quality superyacht services within the luxury yachting industry. 

While the company operates globally, the Newcastle based offices are the heart of West Nautical, delivering maritime services and luxurious yacht charter holidays to the people of the North of England and beyond.

 
Managing Director Geoff Moore said of the new appointments: “I’m thrilled to have both Neil and Paul join us during this crucial time of growth. Neil brings with him a huge amount of maritime expertise from his background in technical roles, logistics and commercial shipping, and Paul is an extremely experienced sales and client-relationship manager, with a wealth of knowledge of the luxury industries, particularly in the local Newcastle area. 

Both roles are integral not only as West Nautical continues to grow on an international level, but as we continue to forge long-lasting relationships with our local clients. The Jesmond office was built with this in mind, to allow us to have a presence amongst our clientele, where they are free to pop in and see us at any time.” 

A North East local, Neil has always had an affinity for the ocean, growing up holidaying on his father’s sailing yacht along the Scottish coast. This, combined with his love of tinkering with car engines, led him to join the Merchant Navy 22 years ago as a marine engineer at the age of 17, which enabled him to travel and see the world. 

He has worked ashore in both technical and commercial roles for shipping companies for over 19 years, most recently working for marine transport and project logistics company Osprey. His role involved transporting huge structures, largely for the oil and gas sector, starting as project co-ordinator and moving up to managing director roles over a 10-year period.  

The maritime industry allows Neil to combine his personal passion for seafaring with working with a diverse range of people. When asked what he most enjoys about the maritime industry he said: “No two days are ever the same which really keeps me focused. Seeing projects through from conception to completion gives me an immense sense of achievement”.

As Chief Operating Officer Neil will be working predominantly from the UK, with travel to visit West Nautical’s global offices, connecting the international teams, the personnel of which now sits at 55 people.  

Paul has spent the last 19 years working in the motor trade, where he started out on the forecourts of independent used car garages. He moved to a main dealer in 2013 as a used car salesman for MINI, before quickly moving to BMW where he worked his way up from salesman to sales leader. From here, his career progressed to Bentley as a showroom manager, before then spending the last two and a half years as brand manager for Ferrari Newcastle.

On working with clients in the luxury industries Paul said: “I love getting to know clients on a personal level. When selling cars for volume brands, you don’t really get to know your client or spend much time with them. Working with luxury brands gives you the time to find out more about them as an individual. It’s fascinating learning what they do and how they got to where they are today.”

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