As the yachting industry continues to grow, more and more women are making a significant impact on this traditionally male-dominated space. Here, YATCO takes the time to get to know some of these women – from all areas of the market – and highlight the important work that they contribute to the industry.
Lea Tintaud is a Charter Broker at Moravia Yachting.
Featuring Lea Tintaud, Charter Broker of Moravia Yachting
What drew you to the yachting world?
By accident really, I was bartending in Nice Port where all the captains were having coffee and telling crazy stories about their clients. I was a student and this was my way of earning a little money to pay for my shared flat with other students. One day, speaking to a captain who was lacking a stewardess after she abandoned ship, I offered to help out if I could, asking what the job description was. When he told me that it was basically serving people like I did in the bar, with the addition of cleaning the toilets and cabins for four times the salary I was getting, I asked him when I could start!
How did you get your start in yachting?
I had no experience whatsoever and although I worked in hotels, this was a totally different ball game.
This was a 35m Benetti Sail Division, to my candid eyes, the most beautiful boat I’ve ever seen! It was in Viareggio about to be delivered and I had the chance to follow the last weeks of the construction. In the meantime, the captain had hired a senior stew to teach me what was expected onboard, and to share all her organizational and table decoration tips. I liked that part – it was a time where you only needed the STCW95 and the ENG1 to board as crew, which I did with the help of the yacht’s management company.
In no time I was ready to welcome guests onboard!
Who are some influential people in your life that you look up to?
I don’t really have any to be honest, but I have a lot of respect for anyone who is self-made. Coming from a modest family, I am inspired by people who have struggled and overcame their difficulties to be successful. I was inspired by my first boss, Renaud Canivet, who is also a helicopter pilot (he showed me it was possible to get your license). Renaud was the captain of BONO for many years and created his yachting company from scratch with the help of his wife; they are very successful and with a high sense of ethics in business which I admire most in this industry. You could say I look up to him.
What are some challenges you face and how do you overcome them?
From being a stewardess to a Central Agent at Edmiston and a Retail Broker next, to finding clients who stay loyal to you is the most challenging game of all.
Being a woman in the industry is also tough as some of my clients would rather speak with a man when it comes to “serious matters” (even though you are doing all the work) and you have to comply with that to seal the deal.
Then there are added difficulties to your path of booking charters – VAT came into play a couple of years ago, which changed the game as some clients could only afford smaller options; then there was Covid and then there was the war in Ukraine. On top of this, the financial industry has become much more complex to navigate and KYC (Know Your Client) and admin procedures are adding steps you need to overcome when you want to sign a holiday for your client.
From a stewardess to a CA to a broker, my job has always been – finding solutions, so that’s what I do, I try to navigate those waters with as much care as possible to sign deals and protect my clients when they trust me with a contract.
What advice would you give you someone who is starting in the yachting industry?
Be patient (I never could) and listen to those who know better. I would suggest to anyone starting to go where their soul takes them. You have to be inspired by what you do, and who you work for. We are dream sellers, you need to feed your own dream to be able to sell it to your clients and when doing so, only associate with the best in the game.
What is the most rewarding/enjoyable element of your job?
When my clients say to me that, “It was the most epic holiday of our lives,” that is a truly rewarding moment for me. Also, when I take the helicopter to meet a client, and they realize I am the pilot, that is a vibe!
What is your favorite thing about working in the yacht industry?
Meeting so many different successful people who can change the world – maybe someday I will be able to influence them to a cause that matters to me, one charter at a time.
What are you currently working on and what keeps you motivated?
At Moravia Yachting, part of the Hill Robinson group, I am currently looking into Carbon Offsetting alternatives, and I hope I can interest most of my clients to offset their trip to contribute to environmentally friendly programs. At the moment, I find www.yachtcarbonoffset.com is a great solution but there are others I need to compare it to.
I offset my personal carbon footprint yearly with them, being a private helicopter pilot, I wish to counterbalance my effect on the environment, and most of my clients are happy to do so too when booking a charter with me. Selling the dream charter always keeps me motivated but doing it with a deeper purpose is probably the most rewarding thing I’ve experienced so far.
