The yacht arm of the Palumbo ship-repair group: ISA in Ancona, Columbus in Savona and seven refit yards, with an order book near EUR 1 bn.
1967 group · 2008 yachts
Founded
Palumbo family
Owner
EUR 158 m · 2025
Production value
about EUR 1 bn · 25 yachts
Order book
9th, up from 14th
Rank
22 to 100 m
Range
What happened, 2023 to 2026
Mar 2025DealSecond 65 m ISA Classic sold, delivery 2028
Dec 2025MoneyRises from 14th to 9th in the Global Order Book
Jan 2026Deal68 m Gran Turismo sold to a US buyer
May 2026BuildOrtona concession approved; third newbuild yard opens 2027
Sep 2026Build79.8 m Belita launched, the group's largest yacht
Sep 2026BuildRefit division renamed Palumbo Upfit across seven yards
What it adds up to. The fastest-rising Italian order book, run by the family as sole director with two general managers under it.
Who runs it
General Manager, ISA Yachts and Palumbo Superyachtssince 2017
Direttore generale, Palumbo Superyachtssince 2025
Vice General Manager; technical production manager, ISAsince 2023
Operations Managersince 2024
Head of refit, after sales and commissioningsince 2022
Purchasing manager, Ancona and Savonasince 2005
Organisation. Family group; sole director, brand general managers
What it shows for a new yard. A family group with brand general managers: the model where a GM runs a yard but not the money.
Former leaders now elsewhere5 people who held a top or senior seat here
now Shipyard Director at Cantiere Rossini
now General Manager at OTAM YACHTS
now Technical Director at The Italian Sea Group S.p.A
now Engineering Director at Ferretti Group
now Marketing Director at Palumbo SuperYachts
Organisation chartthe top seat, the senior layer by function, and the managers where the top team is small; the number two is marked
Francesco Carbone
General Manager, ISA Yachts and Palumbo Superyachts
since 2017
Primiano Protano
Direttore generale, Palumbo Superyachts
since 2025
Engineering and design1 managers
Production and operations3 senior, 4 managers
Projects and service1 senior, 4 managers
Purchasing1 senior
People1 managers
Angelo F.
Interior and exterior activities coordinator
since 2022
Andrea Greco
Vice General Manager; technical production manager, ISA
since 2023
Number two
Christian Rossetti
Operations Manager
since 2024
Simon Zammit
Yard Manager, Palumbo Malta
since 2011
Alessandro Massi
Maintenance head
since 2026
Cesare Del Padrone
Head of exterior outfitting
since 2026
NN
Nicola Neri
Head of new constructions
since 2025
Rosario Sacco
Project foreman
since 2025
Christian Caimmi
Head of refit, after sales and commissioning
since 2022
AG
Alessandro Gianardi
Project manager
since 2017
DS
Diego Sebastian Cingolani
Refit project manager and dockmaster
since 2016
Gianluca Fanelli
Project manager
since 2018
Marco Maranzana
Project manager
since 2025
Federica Domenichelli
Purchasing manager, Ancona and Savona
since 2005
Federica Osmani
HR officer
since 2016
Number two. Vice general manager since December 2023 while keeping the technical production manager seat; a naval architect of 37 one step under two general managers.
The top team as read on LinkedIn36 people read as staff, October 2026
Two general managers (one from TISG sales, in the seat since 2017; one from TISG general management, appointed Nov 2025) over a Vice General Manager who is also the technical production manager, a Marketing Director across brands (Palumbo, Columbus, Extra, Mondomarine), heads of refit and after sales, operations, new constructions and purchasing, a Malta yard manager, and a project-manager bench with three former general managers of smaller yards in it.
Palumbo Superyachts is the yacht arm of a Naples ship-repair group and has staffed its top from The Italian Sea Group twice: the sales-rooted general manager in 2017 and the engineering-rooted general manager in 2025. The family holds marketing. The project bench is unusually senior (former general managers of Falcon, Cartubi and Canados production), which suggests the group buys experience for refit and newbuild projects rather than building a functional hierarchy. Columbus Yachts has no staff of its own on LinkedIn beyond a naval architect and the shared marketing team.
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 Palumbo Superyachts · ISA2 people under 50 in the pools; the shortlisted first
Primiano Protano
Direttore generale at Palumbo SuperYachts · Savona, Italy
Ten years as general director of The Italian Sea Group, general director of Palumbo Superyachts since November 2025; naval architect who was a commercial technical manager before his first top seat.
Reachability
Needs a trigger
Revisit: November 2026, one year in the seat · Location model A
What would move them
He ran The Italian Sea Group's yards for ten years, including the years it built hulls in Türkiye; a greenfield yard is the one thing he has not done.
The trigger
A year into the Palumbo seat; the trigger is Palumbo's own plan for ISA and the Savona refit yards, or a greenfield he can specify himself.
The route, and the location model
Through the Palumbo and TISG alumni on this map; direct is possible, he answers technical questions. A resident technical chief executive; Savona-based, has run a two-country operation before.
Career
Direttore generale · Palumbo SuperYachts Nov 2025 – Present
Direttore Nuove Costruzioni · San Giorgio del Porto S.p.A. Aug 2023 – Present
Direttore generale · The Italian Sea Group S.p.A Jan 2013 – Oct 2023
Age43 to 49estimate from the first dated job; less exact
Based inSavona, Italy
Current seatDirettore generale, Palumbo Superyachts · ISA, since 2025
CareerSince 2004, 22 years
Builders on the CVPalumbo Superyachts · ISA (current); The Italian Sea Group · Admiral (earlier)
EducationPolytechnic of Turin; University of Genoa Naval Architect · Ingegneria navale
LanguagesNot given
In brief
General manager of Palumbo Superyachts since Nov 2025 (and newbuild director at the sister yard San Giorgio del Porto since 2023) after ten years as general manager of The Italian Sea Group (2013-2023). Naval architect (Genoa, Turin) who was a commercial technical manager and R&D director before the first GM seat. Two yard general-manager seats in a row; technical root, commercial exposure as technical manager, no pure sales seat.
From the web
Listed on the Palumbo Superyachts staff as general director since November 2025; no press coverage of the move was found. The Italian Sea Group, where he was general director for ten years, went through a financial restructuring in late 2025 with founder Giovanni Costantino returning as CEO (YachtBuyer, November 2025).
Andrea Greco
Vice General Manager at Palumbo SuperYachts · Naples, Italy
AgeAbout 37estimate from the school years on the profile
Based inNaples, Italy
Current seatVice General Manager, Palumbo Superyachts · ISA, since 2023
CareerSince 2013, 13 years
Builders on the CVPalumbo Superyachts · ISA (current)
EducationUniversità degli Studi di Napoli 'Federico II' Master's degree · Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering; Università degli Studi di Napoli 'Federico II' Bachelor's degree · Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering
LanguagesNot given
In brief
Vice general manager since Dec 2023 while keeping the technical production manager seat held since 2021; senior engineering project manager, naval architect at ISA and Arcadia. The technical number two.
Facts and news, with sourcesthe research behind the overview
Show the facts and the dated news with their sources
Identity
Full name: Palumbo Superyachts S.r.l. (registered in Ancona), the yacht-building arm of the Palumbo Group S.p.A., Naples. source
Founded: Palumbo Group started in Naples in 1967 (Salvatore Palumbo) as a carpentry and ship-repair yard; the superyacht division (Columbus Yachts) was formed in 2008. source 1source 2source 3
Headquarters: Naples (group); Palumbo Superyachts registered in Ancona.
Yard locations (as of 2026): newbuild yards in Ancona (ISA) and Savona (Columbus, ex-Mondomarine); Ortona concession of 13,049 m2 granted 2026-05, opening planned 2027. Refit and repair yards (Palumbo Upfit): Naples, Marseille, Malta, Messina, Ancona, Savona, Rijeka. source 1source 2source 3
Ownership: private, Palumbo family. Rijeka yard (Viktor Lenac) bought in 2018, more than 80% with P&L Shiprepair. source 1source 2
Brands: ISA Yachts (Ancona, joined the group 2016), Columbus Yachts, Extra Yachts (composite, 76 to 130 ft), Mondomarine (Savona, 2018); refit arm renamed Palumbo Upfit in 2026-09. source 1source 2
Size
Employees: not found.
Revenue: Palumbo Superyachts 2025 sales revenue EUR 45.5 million (2024: EUR 81.9 million), production value EUR 157.6 million (up 22%), profit EUR 1.1 million, as reported 2026-10-09. source 1source 2
Order book: about EUR 1 billion, 24 to 25 yachts in build (as of 2026-02 and 2026-07). source 1source 2
Global Order Book 2026 (published 2025-12): 9th worldwide, up from 14th; project count and metres not found. source
Product
Range: 22 to 100 m; steel, aluminium and composite (with carbon). source
ISA Yachts (Ancona): series and semi-custom composite lines (Viper, Sport 120, Unica 40/45, Gran Turismo 45 to 68 m, GTO 70, Classic 65 steel displacement) plus full custom up to 80 to 100 m. New 80 to 90 m platform launched 2026-07. source 1source 2
Extra Yachts: composite semi-custom (X96 and X100 Triplex, Extra 90 Fast).
Flagship: Belita, 79.8 m, 2,220 GT, ISA Custom, Espen Oino exterior, launched in Ancona 2026-09; largest yacht ISA has built. source
Scheduled 2026 deliveries: Columbus Atlantique 38 Principessa Capricciosa, ISA Custom 80 (Belita), ISA GT 67 Sea Raider X, ISA Viper 130, ISA GTO 70.
Leadership
Giuseppe Palumbo — sole director (amministratore unico) of Palumbo Superyachts, as of 2026-09-15. source
Antonio Palumbo — CEO of Palumbo Upfit (refit division), as of 2026-09-07. source
Gianpaolo Lapenna — general manager, Columbus Yachts, as of 2026-02-06. source
No group CEO, CFO or commercial director named in 2023 to 2026 press.
News 2023 to 2026
2026-09
ISA launches Belita, 79.8 m, the group's largest yacht to date.boatinternational.com
2026-09
Refit division Palumbo Superyachts Refit renamed Palumbo Upfit, positioned as ongoing maintenance and upgrade support across 7 Mediterranean yards.boatinternational.com
2026-07
Company states an order book of about EUR 1 billion with about 25 yachts in build; Ortona yard to open in 2027.boatinternational.com
2026-05
Ortona port concession (13,049 m2, slipway) approved for large steel and aluminium builds.superyacht24.it
2026-03
Refit yards report full capacity after a 2025 of "strong consolidation"; largest refit ever started.superyacht24.it
2026-01
ISA sells a new 68 m Gran Turismo to a US buyer.superyacht24.it
2025-12
Palumbo Superyachts rises from 14th to 9th in the Global Order Book 2026.shippingitaly.it
2025-03
Second ISA Classic 65 m (1,420 GT, steel displacement) sold, delivery 2028.superyacht24.it
