After twenty years in Dubai, this Flemish man from Leuven was prepared for the contrast when he landed three years ago in the heart of the Vendée countryside in western France. For Bénéteau, recruiting this Superyacht specialist from Gulf Craft to enhance its Prestige brand was a real masterstroke. In a meeting room or in the crowds at a boat show, one can quickly spot Erwin Bamps’ slender figure. The Belgian manager with an international career behind him takes care of his presentation. A career in the world of luxury inevitably leaves its mark, and these habits are most welcome in Erwin’s new position. But beyond appearances, his eyes are piercing, his handshake firm and his manner relaxed. He had been told that all meetings would be conducted in English... Three years later, the manager speaks almost perfect French. How else could he communicate, explain, and persuade local decision-makers and motivate the 1,000 people at the Les Herbiers shipyard? As a trained electronics engineer, he admits that on a dayto- day basis, his most delicate mission is to «convince teams of engineers that in the end, they are selling vacations»! Erwin knows how to share his truly personal vision of yachting; with his subtly worded anecdotes and his polite observations of a world in perpetual motion, this visionary can win over anyone he talks to.
Both his clients and his team appreciate his positioning using references from the automobile industry and his service models taken from the hospitality sector. These are all very sharp analyses, often punctuated with a touch of humor. While Erwin has multiplied the number of new models in recent years, he is especially convinced that the future of Prestige lies in the multihull - there are now only two months left before the initial detailed presentation of the first Prestige catamaran. The Boss is firmly convinced of one thing: the quality of the customer experience is primordial. While sailing is attracting more and more enthusiasts, each new generation is less interested in technology than the previous one. To adapt to new trends, he is an enthusiastic ambassador of Seanapps, the Bénéteau Group’s connected boat solution. And don’t count on him to show you the engine compartments. He is very proud of them, however, particularly because of their ingenious compactness, which frees up more living space. While we await the truly autonomous boat, the challenge of expanding the audience, according to him, is the ease of use and well-being on board.
This inveterate globetrotter has a contagious enthusiasm. He therefore naturally led his teams in the design of what he imagined as a real private island - the future Prestige catamaran. Let’s face it, this brand headed by Erwin Bamps will be the flagship of the world leader in powercat yachting. It will bring its elegant style, its increasingly high-end finish, but also the competitiveness of a large industrial group. If Erwin has one regret at the moment, it is that he has not yet succeeded in fulfilling the dream of one of his customers: to install a pool table on board! But behind the laughter lies a great deal of ambition. You never know?
