Saverio Cecchi, a GP Yachts board member, has been elected president of UCINA, Italy’s marine trade association. According to a statement from the association, Cecchi received a 99 percent favorable vote for a term that runs from 2019-2023. The election was held yesterday at the annual SATEC convention for UCINA member companies.

The members’ assembly also elected the following industry members as association vice presidents: Maurizio Balducci (Overmarine spa), Piero Formenti (ZAR Formenti srl), Alessandro Gianneschi (Gianneschi Pumps and Blowers srl) and Andrea Razeto (F.lli Razeto&Casareto spa).

The council also added two members: Marco Donà (In.co.fin. srl) and Alberto Osculati (Osculati srl). The Assembly also nominated Anton Francesco Albertoni as president of its Disciplinary College.

Cecchi will take over from Carla Demaria after her term ends this year. Demaria said in the statement that this year’s assembly was a “key moment” in Ucina’s history. Its members, she said, have achieved “unstoppable success” on “institutional, national and global levels.”

“I have reached the end of a term that turned out to be more demanding than I could ever have imagined, but which has given me so many reasons to be satisfied and proud of what we have accomplished,” said Demaria. “So overall the outcome has been positive and I feel, as we reach the final moments of my mandate, that I have become a richer person, personally and professionally.”

Cecchi, a member of UCINA for 30 years, has these goals for his term: implementing the Nautical Code, Italy’s adoption of the Passenger Code for superyachts, promoting small boating, boater education, industry exports, and developing the boat leasing sector. “Let us also not forget that in my program I have committed to reuniting the association, a concept I strongly believe in, because our strength is in unity,” added Cecchi.

A separate association called Nautica Italiana, comprised of many of Italy’s leading yacht builders, split from UCINA in 2013.

Cecchi was president of BCS srl, and from 2006 to 2012, CEO of Twin Disc Italia. He currently sits on the Board of Directors for GP Yachts srl.