Benjamin Bensahel Appointed CEO of Camper & Nicholsons

A leadership change at a historic brokerage

Camper & Nicholsons has named Benjamin Bensahel its new chief executive officer, placing an established member of its commercial leadership at the head of the international yacht-services business. The company confirmed the appointment on 26 October 2026 and said he succeeds Paolo Casani, who is leaving after guiding the business through a change of majority ownership.

The timing makes this more than an ordinary executive appointment. Bensahel takes charge following Sea Expandary Group's acquisition of a majority interest earlier in 2026, bringing the question of how the brokerage will coordinate its international activities into sharper focus.

Six years of international commercial experience

Bensahel joined Camper & Nicholsons in Monaco in 2020 as a sales manager and subsequently became Head of Sales Europe. His remit later widened to include responsibilities connected with the United States and the Middle East, before he took the role of chief commercial officer for Europe and the Middle East.

That progression matters in a market where a yacht transaction may involve an owner in one country, a shipyard in another and advisers across several jurisdictions. His exposure to different regions offers operational familiarity with the firm's network, although the company has not set out any immediate changes to the structure of its individual offices.

A broader brief than buying and selling yachts

The new chief executive's remit includes brokerage, charter, new construction and yacht management. Camper & Nicholsons presents those businesses as connected elements of its offer to owners, rather than as isolated transactions at different stages of a yacht's working life.

For clients, coordination among those teams can have practical value. A planned acquisition may create later requirements for crew, management, insurance, shipyard oversight or charter arrangements, so the ease with which specialist departments collaborate is an important consideration when choosing an adviser.

Sea Expandary Group and the next phase

In its announcement, Camper & Nicholsons explicitly placed the appointment in the context of its new majority shareholder, Sea Expandary Group. Bensahel outlined an ambition to strengthen existing markets, pursue new opportunities and improve cooperation across the business's service divisions.

Those intentions should be understood as management priorities rather than completed commercial developments. The announcement does not provide a timetable for office openings, revenue targets or a revised yacht-sales forecast, and none can reasonably be inferred from the leadership change alone.

Paolo Casani's period at the helm

Casani's departure closes a substantial chapter for the company. The official statement records that he became president of the board in 2015 and chief executive in 2017, subsequently overseeing an expansion of its office network and broader range of specialist services.

During that period the business added or developed capabilities in new construction, design, insurance solutions and corporate services. It also established offices in markets including Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai, Athens, Cannes and Viareggio, according to the company's account of his tenure.

What the transition means for superyacht clients

The immediate significance for yacht owners is continuity of leadership during a shareholder transition. Bensahel is moving from within the existing organisation, and Camper & Nicholsons has not announced a pause or reduction in its brokerage, charter, build or management services.

Attention now turns to how the new chief executive balances the firm's longstanding relationships with its plans for growth. For buyers, sellers and owners commissioning complex new builds, the most meaningful evidence will be the consistency of service and the delivery of projects in the months ahead.