Ferretti Group has a new chief executive. At the board meeting on 15 May 2026, the day after the annual shareholders' meeting, the board appointed Stassi Anastassov as CEO, effective immediately. He replaces Alberto Galassi, who had run the group for 12 years.
Galassi joined the board in 2013 and became CEO in 2014. Under him the group expanded its brand portfolio and returned to growth; he leaves with the 2025 results in positive territory.
Anastassov comes from outside yachting. Born in Bulgaria, with Swedish and Swiss citizenship, he spent around 30 years at Procter & Gamble in senior roles across Europe, North America, Asia and the Middle East, and later served as president and CEO of Duracell. He currently holds non-executive director seats at JS Global Lifestyle and Better Shelter. His appointment points to a management profile drawn from consumer goods rather than a yachting-insider succession.
"Italy is and will remain the heart of Ferretti Group," Anastassov said on his appointment, adding that the priority is "the strength, stability and long-term success" of the group.
A renewed board
The ordinary shareholders' meeting on 14 May 2026 approved a new nine-member board and reviewed the 2025 results. Tan Ning was appointed Chairman. The new directors are Tan Ning, Patrick Sun, Zhang Xiaomei, Federica Marchionni, Jin Zhao, Zhu Yi, Donatella Sciuto and Katarína Kohlmayer, with Anastassov as CEO.
"Ferretti Group enters this next phase with strong foundations, exceptional brands and significant long-term opportunities," Tan Ning said.
Two directors stepped down ahead of the meeting, on 13 May. Honorary Chairman Piero Ferrari and independent non-executive director Stefano Domenicali each cited concerns over governance and transparency in their resignation statements.
Ownership context
The leadership change sits within a shareholder picture that has been the subject of public discussion. Weichai Group, the Chinese controlling shareholder, carried the assembly vote with about 52.3 percent. KKCG Maritime, a Czech investor, holds about 8.75 percent acquired through a tender offer that Weichai had opposed; on 15 May 2026 KKCG requested an Italian "golden power" review, the state's mechanism for examining changes affecting strategic national assets, and contested the assembly vote. Ferretti has not changed its operational base, and Anastassov's statement underlined continuity in Italy.
The business underneath
Whatever the boardroom discussion, the trading numbers for 2025 were solid.
For now the change at the top is a management transition on a business that is performing, with the ownership questions running on a separate track through the Italian review process.
Photo: © Ferretti Group (Forlì production centre). Source: Ferretti Group.
