TESTIMONIALS
“I was introduced to Micheál Pierse by a captain in 2021 and assisted anonymously on one of the courses he was teaching. I was immediately convinced by his unique ability to engage with the attendees that I wanted him to help me out. It was obvious that he knew what he was talking about and I like his manner.
He cares about people and his tailored approach convinced me to have him assist C&N to deliver some leadership day courses for senior crew within our fleet.
It went so well that we did it a couple of years in a row and not only for C&N seafarers but anyone from the industry was welcome, it was a success both times.
Micheal delivered early on this year another valuable training to our yacht management team, this time in-house. It was a condensed version of leadership tools and a real eye-opener for our land-based yacht management team to understand what kind of training seafarers get. – such training should be done periodically not only for shore management staff working daily with the yachts but anyone working within the industry whether they hold a position as leader or not.
Micheal, being a yacht captain himself can deliver such training with real facts and experienced situations, his great knowledge and notorious humour make the training session enjoyable to attend, and the feedback we received was very positive.
I’ll most likely repeat such training sessions in the future and I am proud to recommend him highly.”
— Marianne DANISSON, Group Head of Yacht Management, Camper & Nicholsons
“I have known Micheál Pierse for many years. He was a standout student of mine in 2009. I remember him in the classroom very clearly for his capacity to absorb information, break it down and make sense of it in any given environment.
Micheál was a yacht captain for many years, and it was with great pleasure that I was able to offer him a role in teaching HELM management in 2020. The subsequent results did not surprise me at all. Of all the instructors we have had, he is uniquely placed to teach Leadership and Management in a yachting environment. He is all of those things and combines them with best practices from the corporate world where he also worked for many years before yachting.
Micheál is good for our business. Students seek out his HELM courses because they want to learn leadership and they want to learn from the best. The feedback and results have been second to none with him, and that is the reason why I ask him time and again to represent Bluewater at seminars about crew leadership.”
— John WYBORN, Head of Bluewater Training, Bluewater Yachting
I am writing this testimonial to wholeheartedly endorse Micheál Pierse, a distinguished professional in the yachting industry whom we have had the pleasure of working with since 2011. Over the years, Micheál has significantly contributed to our operations and overall success, first as a Captain of the boats we chartered for our clients, and subsequently as a coach and advisor to our junior staff in yachting.
Micheál's expertise in the field is unparalleled. At Yachtleadership.com, his company, Micheál brings a wealth of experience that bridges the gap between traditional yachting practices and contemporary management strategies, fostering a culture of excellence and professionalism.
What truly sets Micheál apart is his deep understanding of staff welfare and retention challenges in the yachting industry. His long tenure in various roles within yachting, and the corporate business world, has equipped him with a unique perspective, enabling him to relate authentically to various scenarios and offer practical, experience-based solutions. His commitment to improving the working conditions and career paths of those in the yachting industry is not just commendable but necessary in an industry where staff retention on yachts is worse than in any other hospitality industry.
His leadership, expertise and consultative approach make him and his company, Yachtleadership.com, an ideal partner for anyone looking to make efforts to improve life onboard. We are delighted to endorse Micheál and are confident that his contributions will continue to elevate the standards and practices onboard yachts in the superyacht industry.
Jenny CAIRD, CEO 212 Yachts
“I attended a HELM management course because I had to obtain my MCA Master ticket and because I genuinely thought I would learn something about leadership in the yachting industry.
I found what I was listening to, incredibly interesting. This guy was a captain, so he got my viewpoint, and I was learning a ton of really helpful stuff to help me manage the crew. Never before have I heard a speaker speak like Micheál Pierse. I enjoyed everything that was associated with my yachting environment.
Years later, when I was involved in the ownership and management of yachts at Unique Yachting, I had the pleasure of having him visit Croatia.
Micheál gets along nicely with the entire staff. While he doesn't claim to solve all problems, he does assist in communication, which has a noticeable positive impact on lowering conflict. As a result, crew performance was enhanced, and delivery gaps were found.”
Sami PARVIAINEN, Unique Yachting
