Van der Valk Shipyard, the Dutch custom yacht builder based in Waalwijk, has appointed Evan Kortmann as Chief Executive Officer. The appointment takes effect in the summer of 2026 and concludes a planned three year transition at the family owned yard.
Kortmann succeeds Enrico Theuns, who has served as Chief Executive since 2023 and led the company through a period of organisational development, capacity growth and an ownership transition. Theuns will remain involved in the coming months to support the handover, an orderly transition the yard said is designed to preserve continuity for clients and staff.
Kortmann joins Van der Valk with a background in the Dutch yacht building sector, having previously held a chief executive role at another established Netherlands shipyard. He arrives as the builder continues to move into larger displacement and semi displacement projects while retaining the in house engineering and joinery that define its range.
The leadership change comes at a point of expansion for the company. The yard has grown its build capacity in recent years and broadened its portfolio of steel and aluminium motor yachts, positioning itself among the Dutch builders competing for international owners in the 25 to 40 metre segment. Bringing in a chief executive with sector experience signals an intention to professionalise that growth without losing the craftsmanship that underpins the brand.
For Kortmann, the role is an opportunity to steer an established name through its next phase. The custom and semi custom yacht market rewards yards that can combine reliable delivery with design flexibility, and the incoming chief executive inherits an order book and an engineering team built up under his predecessor. His early priorities are likely to include maintaining delivery schedules, developing the commercial pipeline and supporting the move into larger projects.
The appointment reflects a wider pattern in the European yacht building industry, where family owned yards are formalising their leadership structures as projects grow in scale and complexity. By completing a multi year succession plan rather than making an abrupt change, the yard has sought to reassure owners and suppliers that its direction and standards will hold through the transition.
Van der Valk has not announced wider management changes in connection with the appointment, and the continued involvement of the outgoing chief executive during the handover is intended to keep existing projects on track. The company said the change positions the yard for its next stage of growth as demand for custom and semi custom yachts continues to draw international buyers to the Netherlands.
