Frabetti returns from Sunseeker as Ferretti strengthens its yachting expertise

Andrea Frabetti is returning to Ferretti Group as personal adviser to chief executive Stassi Anastassov. According to matching reports from PressMare and La Stampa, his brief covers strategic development, new business models and technology, without direct responsibility for the operating organisation. That distinction matters. Frabetti is not returning to run day-to-day production. His job is to help decide what the group should build and develop next.

He is not a generic consultant. Frabetti is a naval architect and mechanical engineer who spent almost 25 years at Ferretti Group, including responsibility for the engineering organisation developing yachts across several of its brands. He later ran Diesel Center before joining Sunseeker in 2019, first as chief technical officer and then as chief executive. His period at the British yard covered a major product push that included the Predator 55 EVO, Manhattan 55, 65 Sport Yacht, 88 Yacht and 90 Ocean. PressMare reports that his Sunseeker role ended in November 2025.

Does Anastassov Need A Yacht Man Beside Him?

The short answer is yes. That does not mean he is unqualified to run the group. Anastassov became Ferretti’s chief executive in May after leading Duracell, spending three decades at Procter & Gamble and advising companies and investment firms on operational change. In an August interview with Forbes, he openly acknowledged that he had no real yachting experience before being approached about Ferretti.

The chief executive of a seven-brand group does not need to design a hull or conduct a sea trial personally. He does need to know whom to trust when a marketing decision begins to affect weight, build time, warranty cost and future resale value. Frabetti brings something that cannot be learned quickly from a management presentation: product memory, yard knowledge and recent experience from a direct competitor.

La Stampa presents the appointment as part of a broader management rebuild. Marco Viti, whose career includes senior yacht roles at Sanlorenzo, is also becoming an adviser to the CEO. Alessandro de Pascalis is set to coordinate design and product development, while Massimiliano Amato returns to quality and after-sales after working at Azimut-Benetti. The pattern suggests that Anastassov is deliberately surrounding himself with people who understand Italian yacht building from the inside.

Impact Matters More Than Titles

The market should now watch decisions rather than business cards: model-development speed, pre-delivery quality, warranty corrections and the way owners are supported after handover. The recent Ferretti Quality Promise already showed the group trying to connect product quality more closely with after-sales care.

Frabetti’s return is not proof of Anastassov’s weakness. It is an acknowledgement that managing brands and capital is not enough in yachting. Someone must also recognise when an attractive concept will become difficult to build, expensive to support and frustrating to own. For a buyer, that is the part of this reorganisation that matters most, including when a particular contract is being reviewed with an owner-side broker such as W Yachts.