As Monaco Marine is always looking for the best customer service, the group welcomes a new way to manage the shipyard in La Seyne-Toulon. The management will be run by both Thomas Guerry, the new Operations Manager and Sean Blair, the new General Project Manager.
“With this new way of management, all the important decisions will be discussed and taken by two people. Separating the competences will allow the yard to reach new levels of excellence”, explains Sean Blair. Sean will manage all the project managers, the projects themselves and the customer relationships... while Thomas Guerry will be responsible for the site itself. The shipyards of La Ciotat and Marseille will follow the same organizational changes in the coming months.
Sean Blair: from offshore to ashore
Seaman, Captain, Fleet Manager and now General Project Manager of Monaco Marine La Seyne-Toulon shipyard, Sean Blair is a man with practical experience. He also knows how to put things into perspective. With his experienced background, he is now manager of a new shipyard with a bright future.
An American citizen, born in Germany, Sean Blair has had an unconventional life. At 14, he arrived in France and at 18, started studying cultural mediation, developing human skills that have been useful throughout his life. He then worked as a cadet on a scientific vessel, the Heraclitus. Coming home after such a formidable experience, office work was out of the question. `My grandfather was a US Navy Captain, two of my uncles are renowned regatta sailors... I had to sail. I toured Monaco's berths and left as a sailor.' From there, he climbed the hierarchy to the position of Chief Mate, particularly on sailing yachts. He then spent 12 years as a Captain on yachts from 65 to 165 feet long, including 8 years for with the same owner. He was then entrusted with supervising the build and refit of several yachts, as well as managing a complete fleet and its 28 crew members.
By the age of 40, he realized he wanted a change and to have both feet on land. Still up for challenges, he was glad to join Monaco Marine. ‘I have been a client of the group for 15 years. I saw its evolution, and I know how they work. I understand the needs and expectations of their clients, and, because I have always loved the technical part of the job, I have a solid background. I am right in my area of expertise and working on vessels of a size I know very well and like because they are on a human scale. I am highly motivated by what we are going to achieve with this shipyard.’ He is excited by the challenge of directing a shipyard as he has a detailed knowledge of the client’s point of view as well as the technical part of the job. ‘The new and modern vision of a shipyard brought by Monaco Marine suits me perfectly.’
There are many projects underway at the La Seyne-Toulon shipyard. The objective is to grow the shipyard by hiring a strong team, while adapting to the evolving market. ‘We have a wonderful tool with which everything has to be created. And we have found the best team to achieve this. To me, a shipyard works like a crew, it is a team that is multi-skilled, flexible, and united. My objective is the customer satisfaction, more than sales.’ Indeed, he wants to bring the clients a superior service that they would not find elsewhere, centred on luxury, beyond the technical aspect that must remain faultless. He also wants to develop a lasting relationship with captains by offering them assistance throughout the year, and by anticipating the needs of the clients. In a word, he does not wish for anything less than excellence.
