IYC honors brokers at prestigious Broker of the Year Award Ceremony

17th April 2017

IYC places huge importance on its team and is incredibly proud of the talent throughout the worldwide group. In honor of the company’s top performers over the past year, and of the entire IYC team, IYC recently hosted its prestigious annual Broker of the Year Award in Fort Lauderdale on 6 April 2017. The ceremony was held at the ocean view ballroom of the Pelican Grand Hotel, a suitably opulent setting for celebrating the success of some of IYC’s biggest stars. Guests of honor were the 2016 winners, Frank Grzeszczak Jr, as Sales Consultant of the Year, and Barbara Stork Landeweer, as Charter Consultant of the Year. The main criteria for award winners was sales, but it was also attention to detail, consideration for a client’s individual needs and, ultimately, enthusiasm for the job that clearly contributed to the achievements of this year’s winners.

IYC Sales Consultant of the Year, Frank Grzeszczak Jr, attributes his success to his fresh approach to brokerage. Relating to the younger, new generation buying market, Frank Jr. understands the wants and demands of this clientele. Frank believes that superyachts are the ultimate luxury, and that owners have to love what they are buying. As such, he ensures owners and yachts are well matched, forging a relationship that will ensure that these buyers continue their love affair with yachts, and stay in the yachting industry long term. The key to a successful sale according to Frank Jr is to really listen to the client’s need. He approaches each sale with enthusiasm, but also experience, having been with IYC since joining as an intern at the age of 18. Born and raised by the water in South Florida, he is bilingual and has been immersed in the yachting industry from a very young age, with his father and namesake a member of IYC for over 30 years. To read interview with Frank Jr. click here.

The winner of IYC Charter Consultant of the Year, Barbara Stork Landeweer is no stranger to success, having won the award three times previously. Highly respected by her peers, Barbara also recently received the IYBA (previously FYBA) Yachting Professional of the Year, an award voted by members of the industry. She is one of the charter industries most well-known and talented brokers, having worked with some of the most decorated and succesful charter yachts including Apoise, Kogo and Moonlight II. Barbara joined IYC in 2003, bringing with her fifteen years of experience, and has been matching IYC charter clients to their perfect yachts ever since. She attributes her success to several factors. The first is to understand what a client needs, sometimes knowing what they want before they know themselves. The second is complete transparency, making sure clients are able to make an informed decision about the best choice of yacht and location. The third is knowing which yachts will suit which clients. To achieve this, Barbara is a regular at all the charter shows, getting to know boat, destination and crew inside out, so that she can match make with owners to create the perfect charter experience – only considering her job done when she has delivered the holiday of a lifetime. Truly passionate about yachting, she spends her free time on the water too, with a favourite destination the Bahamas. This enthusiasm is clearly reflected in her success as a charter consultant, and has resulted in many happy, returning clients. To read interview with Barbara click here.

IYC defines itself by the uncompromisingly high standard of care its yacht sales consultants and charter consultants give to clients, and the Broker of the Year Award allows the best of the superyacht industry to be celebrated. Congratulations to the deserving winners of Sales Consultant of the Year, Frank Grzeszczak Jr, and Charter Consultant of the Year, Barbara Stork Landeweer.

For more information on IYC’s services please contact the IYC office most convenient to you. IYC has offices in the Bahamas, Fort Lauderdale, Newport, Nantucket, St. Maarten, Monaco, Greece, Croatia, Barcelona, Montenegro and Malta. To contact an IYC office click here