The Global Marina Institute (GMI) is delighted to report that Richard Hewett, the Chief Executive Officer of the Sandringham Yacht Club (SYC) in Melbourne, Australia, has been awarded with the first Certified Marina Professional (CMP) designation.

Richard Hewett - World First Certified Marina Professional

This certification was launched earlier this year by GMI. The CMP builds on the well established Certified Marina Manager career pathway provided by GMI and delivered through its members the British Marine Federation (BMF) and the Marina Industries Association (MIA). CMP applicants are required to have successfully completed the Advanced Marina Management course and demonstrate a minimum of five years’ experience in the marina industries in a senior management position. CMP applicants also are required to submit a 5,000 word report on a marina related topic. The reports are expected to become a valuable reference for the marina industries.

Richard Hewett led the SYC through a major infrastructure upgrade that has resulted in a significant growth in membership, community participation in the Club’s services and facilities and a doubling of Club’s revenues. This upgrade was the focus of his CMP report.

GMI Chairman Mick Bettesworth said a significant milestone had been reached in the development of the career pathway for the marina industries. “This achievement signals another step forward for industry in the development of a long term professional career pathway. This new certification expands on the globally accepted Certified Marina Manager (CMM) designation of which there are over 200 practicing CMMS across many countries. The CMP provides the opportunity for proven industry professionals not directly managing a marina to benefit from the certification that includes both a commitment to ongoing professional development and to the provision of industry leadership”.

Richard Hewett said he was extremely pleased to become the first CMP. “This is an honour not only for myself, but for the SYC community. The expanded GMI career pathway now caters for a broader range of people committed to the marina industries and GMI through the BMF and MIA must be congratulated for this. Importantly our members now know they have both a CMP and a CMM (Paul Gascoigne SYC Marina and Yard Manager) onsite to look after their needs”.

Richard Hewett will be presented with this CMP by GMI Chairman Mick Bettesworth at Marine13 International Conference and Exhibition, 28-30 April 2013 in Sydney.