A Business Built On Passion And People

Celebrating 20 years, Ocean Independence remains a family-led business built on passion and people. Here we take a journey through the company’s key milestones, from its humble beginnings to global yachting leader.

For Peter Hürzeler, founder of Ocean Independence, it has always been the people who define his family-led business. Established by himself and his brother Hans to share what he and his family loved most — “being on a boat, going into bays, going into small ports and just experiencing that lovely lift that life on a boat gives you” — the company this year celebrates 25 years. “It’s been a lot of fun, hard work at times, but fun,” Peter reflects. “But the best thing for me has always been the people. Without our Team and our strong family values, nothing would have happened.”

Peter’s family remains closely involved in the business. His son Alexander serves as Head of Finance, daughter Lana is Head of HR, nephew Claudio Arpino holds a key role, and brother Hans Hürzeler, serves as Company Lawyer, all contributing to the company’s growth and ensuring the family ethos remains at the heart of operations.

Founded in 1987, Ocean Independence started as one of the first owner-operated luxury charter ventures. Over the decades, it has grown into a full-service yachting company, providing services spanning brokerage, charter, new builds, refits, yacht management, and consulting, and today operates the world’s largest fleet of luxury crewed charter yachts.

From its headquarters in Switzerland and 15 offices worldwide — including London, Palma, and the Côte d’Azur — Ocean Independence employs over 125 specialists. Guided by the ethos that inspired its founding — making people happy and sharing a passion for life at sea — the company approaches every aspect of its work with a focus on service, family, and yachting. This philosophy underpins all its global operations.

1987 Humble Beginnings

Ocean Independence began humbly, sparked by a conversation between founder Peter Hürzeler and his brother Hans, who set out to build their dream passenger yacht. Their creation, COLOMBAIO, was ahead of its time as one of the first commercially registered and compliant superyachts: “It was the first sailing vessel in over 100 years that was certified newly as a cargo vessel,” says Peter. Always fully booked, the 120ft yacht’s success spurred expansion to three vessels and the family business was born.

1991 From Sea to Shore

With COLOMBAIO setting the tone, Hürzeler’s pioneering spirit carried Peter and his team ashore to found Ocean Cruise in Zürich. Focusing on yacht management and brokerage of superyachts, motor yachts and more, Ocean Cruise laid the foundation for Ocean Independence, building on the entrepreneurial drive and customer-first philosophy established during the Colombaio years. The challenges of running Colombaio jump-started the founders’ network and expertise while instilling lasting core values. As Peter notes, “it confirmed that trusting in your vision, working hard, and always doing your very best yields success.” Operating as owner-operators gave them firsthand insight into what works — and what doesn’t — for owners, charterers, and crew. This perspective still shapes the company’s client-centric approach today, with perseverance, integrity, and quality service ingrained from the start and central to Ocean Independence’s culture.

2003 Primed for Palma

Aware of the industry’s coming growth, Peter and his Team expanded overseas, opening in Monaco and Palma in 2003. “We faced the choice of whether to stay very small and boutique or expand and become a bigger player,” says Peter, recalling Palma’s ideal location and Barbara Müller’s readiness to take the helm.

2005 Global Reach

The merger of Ocean Cruise with Velonà Yachting (Monaco) and Sea Independence (Palma) created Ocean Independence, uniting cultures under one brand. Offices in Antibes and Düsseldorf, leadership from Rebecca Pattinson, Barbara Müller, Marco Vandoni, Claudio Arpino, and partner Nicholas Dean nearly doubled the team. Peter reflects: “I’m very willing to give trust to people and luckily I’ve been right.”

2006 360-Degree Service

The opening of the Yacht Management division demonstrated Ocean Independence’s commitment to full lifecycle service. Led by Daniel Kupfer — who moved from crew to management and has been involved since the early days — the Team enables owners to enjoy yachting with professional support in everything from safety and maintenance to compliance and crew.

2008 British Yachting Spirit

Ocean Independence acquired Cavendish White, a respected London brokerage. The culturally compatible team, led by Tom Walden and Toby Maclaurin (now CCO), more than doubled the UK presence. “We were looking to strengthen our share in larger yachts, and the merger significantly boosted listings and presence, integrating British yachting heritage,” says Peter.

2010 Crew Employment & More

Recognising that a yacht’s success hinges on its crew, Ocean Independence launched Crew Employment and Recruitment services. “Talented crew are essential for a good experience on a yacht. Our Team sources captains, engineers, chefs, and more, leveraging our network to provide the best talent. We arrange employment of about 400 crew,” Peter explains.

2011 The French Riviera

By acquiring Antibes-based Primo Yacht, Ocean Independence positioned itself in the Côte d’Azur yachting scene: “crucial for on-ground knowledge”, affirms Peter. Primo founders Judith Amselli and Pascal Erba helped expand the fleet, strengthen the management division, and employ a seasoned charter team to reinforce a culture of charter excellence.

2015 On the Move

Relocation of the headquarters to Küsnacht marked a new chapter in global expansion, strengthening Switzerland’s role as Ocean Independence’s anchor. The move from Zollikon upgraded facilities and renewed focus, reflecting values of trust, discretion, and exceptional service. Expansion continued with a Fort Lauderdale office, expertly overseen by Daphne d’Offay and Thom Conboy.

2016 Time for a refresh

Ocean Independence undertook a complete rebranding to position itself as a lifestyle brand and better serve its discerning clientele. To complement this, PURSUIT was launched, offering an authoritative yet accessible guide to the ultimate yachting lifestyle. With a readership of 5,800, it is distributed at events including Monaco and Cannes.

2017 Becoming Truly Global

Expansion into Asia with the acquisition of Hong Kong-based brokerage company Seanergy positioned Ocean Independence as truly global. Led by Jeremy Comport, this provided a regional foothold, adding local expertise and clients, and allowing the company to serve discerning clients seamlessly across Europe, the Americas, and the Asia-Pacific region.

2023 From home to harbour

The launch of the Private Aviation service enabled Ocean Independence to complement its yacht charters and meet door-to-door luxury travel needs. Offering a one-stop solution for a client’s entire journey, the team arranges private jet charters, helicopter transfers, and even assists with aircraft sales and acquisitions.

2025 At a Glance

With 15 offices worldwide, Ocean Independence has insider local knowledge in all major yachting regions while maintaining global reach. Since inception, the company has sold over 500 yachts, achieving EUR 4 billion in sales and 750 annual charter contracts. The 120-strong, multilingual team spans 26 nationalities, delivering expertise and exceptional client service.

Navigating the Future

Looking ahead, Ocean Independence remains rooted in family values while embracing innovation, sustainability, and agility, ensuring its client-first ethos continues to shape the future of yachting.

Global operations bring new challenges for Ocean Independence. Environmental regulations, stricter anchoring rules, and asset verification procedures all add complexity, while the industry continues to evolve rapidly. For Peter and his Team, agility is essential to maintain a competitive edge and future-proof the business in an ever-changing yachting landscape. Digital innovations streamline operations, with AI-based systems helping anticipate client needs, match available yachts, enhance efficiency, and provide market insight. Yet Peter insists technology will never replace the human element. “We will remain grounded in what makes yachting truly special — personal relationships, human care, discretion and emotional connection. Our service is built on trust, not transactions,” Peter insists. “You have to be close to the Client, that creates trust. And despite our size we maintain the eam spirit of a big family,” Peter adds.

“Our clients really appreciate that it is a family-led business with family values. It’s something that is regularly commented upon,” Peter explains. “I think they like the stability, but also our strong family values.” Looking forward, those values remain central. “We have a long-term vision, which means keeping it in the family, running and growing it as a family business, and reinvesting in the business. Profit is not the first driver. The clients are the focus,” he explains. “We have to cater to so many different clients in so many different ways. It’s not just one thing fits all. The main and most important objective is to deliver excellent service to our clients.”

“We will remain grounded in what makes yachting truly special — personal relationships, human care, discretion and emotional connection. Our service is built on trust, not transactions."

Peter Hürzeler, CEO of Ocean Independence

This year, Ocean Independence opened a new office in Dubai and partnered with the Giangrasso Group — a former supplier to the Italian yacht industry now building its own yachts. Exclusively marketed by Ocean Independence, the first launched this summer.

So what will the next 25 years bring? “Our task is to stay quick and nimble on our feet. To find solutions that benefit our clients and serve them best,” says Peter. “I do believe that some sharing concepts will become more successful in the future. We are working on something along these lines but I can’t say too much at the moment,” he reveals.

Whatever lies ahead, Ocean Independence’s hands-on, client-centric, family-style approach will, as Peter puts it, “always remain central to our philosophy.”

Pursuit A Business Built On Passion And People

1987 Humble Beginnings

1991 From Sea to Shore

2003 Primed for Palma

2005 Global Reach

2006 360-Degree Service

2008 British Yachting Spirit

2010 Crew Employment & More

2011 The French Riviera

2015 On the Move

2016 Time for a refresh

2017 Becoming Truly Global

2023 From home to harbour

2025 At a Glance

Navigating the Future

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