One of the most important lessons from all these years is that our industry, for all its technology, scale and exclusivity, ultimately runs on people.

Many of our clients and business partners have stayed with us for decades. Business relationships have grown into friendships. That trust and personal closeness have always been a vital part of Drettmann – and remain so for me today.

Perhaps that's exactly what I understand by the "Drettmann Feeling": a client doesn't simply buy a yacht from us – we want to understand them, know their wishes, and accompany them along the entire journey. A yacht is something deeply personal and emotional, and the care around it should be just as personal.

What makes me especially proud today is that Drettmann is once again what it was under my parents-in-law: a true family business.

Albert and I were fortunate to take over the company from his parents, to forge our own path with it, and to bring our own ideas to life. Today, we see our children and our son-in-law, as the next generation, taking on responsibility and carrying the company forward with their own ideas.

I experience this transition most directly with Annabell, as she takes on more and more of the areas that were my responsibility for so many years. It's wonderful to see that she doesn't try to do things exactly as I did, but develops her own signature – and that's exactly what I wish for the next generation.

The story of our son-in-law Yannick is also very special to me: when he first got to know our family, he had little connection to the yachting world. But his interest was sparked quickly, and we eventually suggested he simply try a "trial run" with us – what began quite casually turned into a genuine passion within a very short time.

With incredible commitment, initiative and an enormous thirst for knowledge, Yannick built up expert knowledge of yachts and the industry in a remarkably short time, and it still impresses me today. He has since made a name for himself in the yachting world and has become an indispensable part of our company.

What makes me especially proud about the next generation as a whole is their work ethic: our children and our son-in-law know that a family name alone doesn't guarantee success. You have to be willing to take responsibility, build your own knowledge, stay the course, and sometimes give more than is strictly required.

Perhaps Albert and I set exactly that example for them. We never taught them that success is a given – quite the opposite: everything we've built over the years came with a great deal of work, effort and setbacks too.

I firmly believe that hard work can achieve almost anything.

Talent and good ideas matter, but in the end it's commitment, perseverance and the willingness to keep learning that make the difference. Seeing that attitude in our children and our son-in-law today makes me perhaps even prouder than any single business success.

And in that, I see something of my parents-in-law again: they showed Albert and me how to take responsibility together, stand by one another, support each other, and still be able to challenge one another. Albert and I have tried to pass that attitude on – and today we get to see the next generation make their own path from it.

For me, this generational change also means letting go of responsibility and making room for what's new. I remain connected to Drettmann and contribute my experience where it's needed – and at the same time, this gives me the freedom to devote myself more to other projects and passions.
These now include real estate and projects of my own – but above all, a passion that has accompanied me for far longer than the yachting industry: horses.

I've been riding since childhood, and horses have always been an important part of my life and a real counterbalance to my working days. Today, I have the opportunity to pursue that passion even more intensely and to get involved in horse breeding as well.

In a way, this brings things full circle for me: after many years in which building and growing our company took up such a large part of my life, there's now room for something new – without leaving the old behind.

Looking back on our journey today, I'm therefore less proud of any single success or any single yacht – I'm proud of what has grown across generations.

My parents-in-law showed us how a couple and a family can run a business together. Albert and I were able to take over that company, develop it further, and write our own chapter of the story – and today we get to see the next generation begin to add theirs.

Perhaps that is, for me, the most beautiful definition of a family business:

Tradition doesn't mean carrying on exactly as before. It means preserving what's good, while giving every generation the courage and the freedom to make something of their own from it.