Meet Leroy, Sevenstar Yacht Transport’s representative in Palma de Mallorca, covering Spain and Gibraltar. With a passion for the yachting world, he thrives on building strong client relationships and tackling the unique logistics of yacht transport. What makes this business so fascinating? For Leroy, it’s the ever-changing challenges and the excitement of connecting yachts with destinations worldwide.
How it all began
Two and a half years ago, my wife, our two daughters and I emigrated from the Netherlands to Mallorca with the plan of starting a business focused on Indonesian cuisine. However, as both of us are hands-on and always eager to stay active, we quickly started working simple jobs – not just to keep busy, but also to build a strong network on the island. My biggest passion is padel and within just two weeks of arriving, I joined a local padel group. Interestingly, about 80% of its members were connected to the yachting and maritime industry – captains, engineers and other professionals. Our beautiful mountain village is also home to many captains, which only strengthened my connections in the industry. After about a year, my friend Susanne Dijksterhuis ( DYT ) asked me about my CV and experience, as she might have an interesting job opportunity for me. Six months later, I joined Sevenstar Yacht
Transport as a sales representative for the Spanish and Portuguese markets.
Adapting in the new world
At first, my background didn’t seem like an obvious match for the yachting and maritime industry. Coming from the maintenance engineering sector, I was responsible for managing a team of 15 technicians, overseeing the maintenance of industrial plants in sectors such as petrochemicals, gas and oil. Yacht transport felt like an entirely different world. However, in hindsight, many of the skills I developed in my previous career translate surprisingly well. My technical insight, ability to read and interpret schematics, gathering the right information and understanding customer needs all play a crucial role in finding the best transport solutions.
Furthermore, teamwork – something I relied on heavily when managing large-scale maintenance projects – is just as essential in this industry, where I collaborate with colleagues across the world to ensure smooth operations. I find this new world incredibly fascinating and I genuinely enjoy the learning process. The challenges that come with mastering something completely new give me energy and I look forward to everything still ahead. Ultimately, I learn the most by handling real transport bookings, brainstorming with my experienced colleagues and listening to the insights of clients and industry professionals.
Using my personality and hobby for work
As a person, I am known for being approachable, driven, always available and genuinely helpful and honest. Whether in my personal or professional life, I naturally build strong connections with people. I believe that business works best when relationships are smooth, informal and based on mutual trust. That’s why I always strive to transition professional connections into a more personal and relaxed dynamic as quickly as possible – while maintaining respect and professionalism. Padel plays a big role in this. It’s not just a passion of mine but also a great way to maintain and strengthen relationships while expanding my network.
The sport creates the perfect setting for meeting new people, sharing experiences, and fostering a sense of camaraderie – whether on or off the court. Many of my business contacts also share a love for padel, making it a natural and enjoyable way to connect. This is exactly why I’m fully committed to organising the Sevenstar & DYT Padel Event, so make sure to get your practice in early and join us on April 11th..
SEVENSTAR & DYT PADEL EVENT FRIDAY, APRIL
We’re kicking off with 24 teams (companies), and I have full confidence that it will be a success. Padel is incredibly popular in Mallorca, and so many professionals from the yachting industry play.
The event will center around padel, but the real value lies in the informal atmosphere—when you’re sweating on the court, battling an opponent, and then sharing a cold beer between matches, relationships naturally become more relaxed and personal. It’s the perfect combination of sport, fun, and networking.
