Sunseeker’s CEO Stewart McIntyre stands down
Founder Robert Braithwaite to lead Sunseeker once again while Chinese owners search for a new boss
Sunseeker has announced that Stewart McIntyre will step down as Managing Director at the end of the month after leading the luxury boat manufacturers for five years.
Sunseeker’s founder Robert Braithwaite CBE will now hold the role of Acting President for an undisclosed period while the company seeks to find a new CEO.
Wanda Group, owned by China’s richest person, Wang Jianlin, said that McIntyre was leaving to pursue “other interests”.
Billionaire chairman Wang Jianlin said that his company is “committed to Sunseeker and its workforce and as such looks forward to working with the new management on initiatives that continue to build the brand.”
“In the meantime, Wanda has already put a plan in place to transform Sunseeker to the next generation of success. Wanda will continue to provide both financial and management support to Sunseeker going forward,” he added.
Beijing-based Wanda Group bought 91.81% of shares in Sunseeker for £300million in August 2013, and has shown ambitious plans for the boat builders including launching their largest ever model in April this year, the Sunseeker 155.
In a statement, the company also said that they would be shortly announcing “a market-leading new model program for 2015 and beyond”.
Robert Braithwaite, on behalf of Sunseeker’s executive team who will work with Wanda Group’s post merger integration team to appoint the new CEO, said the company would “pull together as a team to take Sunseeker forward to a successful future”.
“Sunseeker is not just a boat manufacturer; it is a family and a global brand,” said Braithwaite.
“We are proud of our heritage, but as a company, Sunseeker has never stood still and we will work very hard together with Wanda Group to further strengthen our leading market position, through cutting edge innovation, world class services and a global distribution network.”