Harlingen yard that converts commercial vessels into 60 to 78 m explorer yachts in a covered dry dock, owned by a Swiss businessman since 2021.
2005
Founded
Micca Ferrero, majority since 2021
Owner
not published
Revenue
not published
People
60 to 78 m conversions
Range
150 x 33 m covered
Dock
What happened, 2023 to 2026
Dec 2023BuildSeaKeepers partnership; Project Mission explorer concept
Oct 2024Build70 m Project Master interior by Winch Design unveiled
Mar 2025DealProject Master put on the market at EUR 99.5 m
Aug 2025Top seatStrategy stated: infrastructure and rebuild supplier, not a Feadship rival
Dec 2025BuildAll steel and aluminium work on Project Master complete
What it adds up to. A conversion yard that prices risk through a dedicated estimating head and sells through a young business-development seat.
Who runs it
Chief Executive Officer
Head of Business Developmentsince 2023
Operations managersince 2020
Head of Estimating and Proposal Managersince 2021
Technical Managersince 2026
Finance manager (management team)since 2010
Head of Projectssince 2023
Organisation. Owner in Monaco; CEO over heads of projects, estimating and business development
What it shows for a new yard. Owner in Monaco, CEO over heads of projects, estimating and business development: the project-led model.
Organisation chartthe top seat, the senior layer by function, and the managers where the top team is small; the number two is marked
Tony Gale
Chief Executive Officer
General management3 senior
Sales and marketing1 senior
Engineering and design2 senior, +2 managers below
Production and operations1 senior, +5 managers below
Projects and service1 senior, +3 managers below
Finance, legal and IT1 senior
Ali Abdulaziz Alturki
Chairman, ICON Saudi
since 2026
Owner family
Alon Nir
Advisor (former Group Director)
since 2025
Micca Ferrero
Owner
since 2021
Owner family
Marek Hasenkopf
Head of Business Development
since 2023
René Couperus
Head of Estimating and Proposal Manager
since 2021
UH
Uty Homan
Technical Manager
since 2026
Frank Mens
Operations manager
since 2020
MC
Marius Ciobanu
Head of Projects
since 2023
EH
Edwin Hamming
Finance manager (management team)
since 2010
Managers in functions with no senior seat on the page, not drawn: people 1
Number twoNo number two. The owner's former group director sits beside the CEO as adviser; under them a head of projects and an operations manager.
The top team as read on LinkedIn28 people read as staff, October 2026
CEO over a Head of Projects (from Damen's Qatar yard), Head of Estimating and proposals, Head of Business Development, Technical Manager (2026), operations manager, finance manager on the management team, HR; an owner's advisor; a new Saudi chairman.
ICON is a 40-person conversion and refit yard with an owner in Monaco and, since Sep 2026, a Saudi venture. Its organisation is project-led with a dedicated estimating head, which is how a conversion yard prices risk; the commercial seat is a young business-development head rather than a sales director. Technical leadership turned over in 2026.
Seats and dates are as the people describe them on LinkedIn; a person who moved in the last months can still show the old seat. Tap a person for the profile and the reading.
Candidates at ICON Yachts1 people under 50 in the pools; the shortlisted first
MC
Marius Ciobanu
Head of Projects at ICON Yachts · Harlingen, Netherlands
Age44 to 48estimate from the degree years on the profile
Based inHarlingen, Netherlands
Current seatHead of Projects, ICON Yachts, since 2023
CareerSince 2004, 22 years
Builders on the CVICON Yachts (current)
EducationUniversitatea "Dunarea de Jos" Integrated Shipbuiding; Universitatea „Dunărea de Jos” din Galați Bachelor's degree · Ocean Engineering/ Naval Architecture
LanguagesDutch, English, Romanian
In brief
Since Apr 2023; Damen's Qatar yard superyacht project manager and Albwardy Damen naval projects before; Galati shipbuilding degree.
Facts and news, with sourcesthe research behind the overview
Show the facts and the dated news with their sources
Founded: 2005, by investor Ton van Dam and Alex Shnaider. source
Headquarters and yard: Lange Lijnbaan 11, 8861 NW Harlingen, Netherlands; about 2.5 km from the North Sea, with no locks. source
Yard facilities: covered, heated dry dock of 150 x 33 m (7.5 m maximum draft) and a 90 m floating dock. source
Ownership: private. Swiss businessman Micca Ferrero bought "the majority of the shareholdings" of ICON Yachts and related companies (2021-09). No percentage published. source 1source 2
Earlier history: in early 2014 Russian banker Alexander Mazanov bought the company out of bankruptcy. source
Sister brands: not found.
Size
Employees: not found.
Revenue: not found (private company).
Boat International Global Order Book position: not found. ICON's current work is mainly conversions, which the order book may not count.
Product
Business: conversions of commercial and support vessels into explorer yachts, refits, and new builds. Company describes itself as a builder of "explorer yachts and purpose vessels". source
Size range: about 28 m (ICON 100, 2014) to 84 m (ICON 280 design). Main work 60–78 m. source
Hull materials: steel hulls, aluminium superstructures (Project Master: "all major steel and aluminium work completed"). source
Series / semi-custom / full-custom: all full-custom. Conversions (Project Master, Project UFO, Ragnar / MY Q, Legend) are one-off. Concept lines Mission-M and Mission-L and Project Mission (63.9 m explorer concept) are offered as new-build designs; build status not found. source
Notable projects.
Project Master: 70 m conversion of the 2001 offshore rescue ship Ocean Ness; design by Espen Øino, interior by Winch Design; steel and aluminium work done at Harlingen by 2025-12; listed for sale at EUR 99.5 million with a 2027 build year. source
Project UFO: second 70 m conversion; reported delivered to ICON's pier in Harlingen (2025-07, secondary report; primary not found).
Ragnar (now MY Q): 68.2 m conversion of icebreaking supply vessel Sanaborg, launched 2020; changed owner in 2024 and renamed. source
Deliveries 2023–2026: not found. No new build or conversion delivery confirmed in this period.
Leadership
Owner and co-director: Micca Ferrero — as of 2025-08-26. source
CEO: Tony Gale (heads the company since 2020) — as of 2025-08-26. source
Head of business development: Friso Hylkema (newly hired) — as of 2022-08-23. source
Head of sales and marketing: Paul Manting — date not verified (SuperYacht Times page blocked; quotes a CEO "Wim Koersvelt", so it is likely an older article). source
News 2023 to 2026
2026-09
67.5 m Loon (ex-ICON, built by ICON in 2009) was sold.yachtsnl.com
2025-12
Boat International reports all major steel and aluminium work on the 70 m Project Master is complete at Harlingen.boatinternational.com
2025-08
Interview with owner Micca Ferrero and CEO Tony Gale: ICON has moved from competing with the large Dutch yards to being a "supplier of infrastructure, rebuild expertise and explorer pedigree".boatinternational.com
2025-03
Project Master put on the market (brokerage listing, 2027 build year).yachtbuyer.com
2024-10
ICON unveils the Project Master interior by Winch Design.iconyachts.eu
2024-04
ICON reveals Project Mission interiors by Carla Guilhem.iconyachts.eu
2023-12
ICON partners with The International SeaKeepers Society on science-at-sea expeditions and launches the Project Mission explorer concept.iconyachts.eu
