Recruitment with care

VIP Yacht Crew
Find the best crewFind The Right Yacht
What we do section

What We Do

We provide an exceptional service to yacht Owners and Crew through our psychologically based interview process which has proven to increase crew longevity and harmonious working environments.

We are dedicated to helping our clients find the perfect Crew through a proven and intelligent hiring process thereby increasing crew retention, enhancing the interpersonal dynamics onboard whilst creating a stress-free environment for all.

Our bespoke placement agency’s core focus is to not only attract and retain top talent but to find the right placement for the Yacht and Owners.

We have a fundamental understanding of the blend of soft and hard skills required to build world-class Crews as such our customised recruitment procedure and interviews, forms an integral part of the Crew placement.

Our team is highly skilled in the field of human behaviour and talent hiring, giving us the leading edge in Crew Placement.

How we are different to other recruitment agencies

We want to see Crew longevity because that means we have done our job right! The Crew are the backbone of the Yacht and we are dedicated to finding you the perfect fit to create a seamless operation onboard and enhance the Vessel’s reputation.

The founders, Giovanni Napoli and Karine Rayson have recognized that individuals who are responsible for sourcing Crew are struggling to find high-quality candidates which creates unnecessary stress and frustrations and can potentially deface the Vessel’s reputation. Our job is to turn that around through screening and hand-selecting premium Crew. Through their own separate companies, Karine and Gio get to know their clients on a personal and professional basis, therefore the quality of the working relationship is contrastingly different to a recruitment agency. Combined, Gio and Karine have well over a decade worth of industry experience in training and development which has culminated in the development of a proven and trialled hiring formula. We are passionate about the industry and want to create the ultimate experience for Owners and Crews alike.

How we are differeant section

Testimonials

“Gemma”

The candidate put forward to me by Karine and Gio was a perfect fit for our team. Our new recruit shows empathy and kindness to her fellow crew members which has made our team stronger. Prior to the candidate joining the vessel, the crew dynamics was quite divided and we have since worked hard to build a stronger, inclusive team environment. I would highly recommend HODs to source someone that has a combination of the right interpersonal skills, as well as qualifications. This is something that this industry has been missing.

“Chief Stew”

The time and effort it takes to interview and bring crew on board is huge. In addition to the hiring process, the initial training weeks take a senior stewardess off of her duties to assist with training. Should we then discover the candidate has poor people skills or communication skills, we have to start over again. This delays the entire team in progressing and is a huge headache for heads of departments. Working with Vip Yacht Crew when hiring was brilliant and I know we both share a common desire to ensure the mental well-being of the crew.

“Ana”

I was struggling to find a position which was the right fit. Working with Karine and Gio, I was able to find a new Stewardess position in less than one month. I found VIP Yacht Crew on social media and saw some posts of old clients saying how amazing they are and it’s true! They were a great help for me. I’m really thankful to them. What I liked the most about engaging with VIP Crew was that they always take care of their clients. Vip Crew has not only been a great help but I appreciate their honesty and commitment to their cause. They really do care about us and if an opportunity isn’t right, they will tell us. I highly recommend Vip Crew, you will see results and will be very happy and thankful.

“Ellen"

I was feeling a bit lost, not sure if yachting was for me anymore, but glad I gave it a second chance. After reaching out to Vip Crew for support in my job search, she found a position for me with an amazing chief stew and a great crew.
VIP Crew is more personal than your average agency, Karine and Gio take the time to get to know the crew and captains on a personal level whilst maintaining professionalism, hence I had more trust in the boat that was recommended. What I admire most about this boutique agency is that they are very honest about what to expect.

Meet The Team

Giovanni Napoli

Giovanni Napoli

General Manager

Gio has over 12 years experience in the yachting industry as a Chief Officer on different size vessels. He knows the exact hard skills required to place the ultimate crew member for the position needing to be filled. 

Gio is an advocate for Crew mental health as such was the proud founder of the Happy Crew App. He believes mental health is was drives crew morale and productivity on board.

Karine Rayson

Karine Rayson

Relationship Manager

Karine is the director of The Crew Coach and co-founder of VIP Yacht Crew. With a background in counselling-psychology and organisational psychology and an accredited profile assessor, Karine has an in-depth understanding of human behaviour.
Being an ex-seafarer herself, she knows the exact soft skills required to give candidates a competitive edge. Karine has been awarded the Acrew Duty of Care Award and was a finalist for the 2022 Mentorship Award. She has been featured in The New Yorker Magazine, London Sunday Times and the Marie-Claire. She also serves on the PYA well-being committee.

Julie Langlois

Julie Langlois

Recruitment Specialist

Julie has joined the VIP Yacht recruitment team after spending eight years within the Yachting industry. As an experienced Chief Stewardess, a practiced IAMI Certified Purser, and an IAMI Certified Advanced Leadership trainer with the Crew Coach, she joins the team with the same ideals, goals, and principles in mind. Her passion within recruitment is to fundamentally understand each individual crew member and captain that she works with, including their needs, values, and requirements to stack the odds in placing crew that will more naturally and with ease fit into the boats culture.