Following the death of his father Olivier on May 14, Aurélien Poncin, 40, becomes the new captain of the catamaran manufacturer Catana, whose historic headquarters are located in Canet-en-Roussillon (Pyrénées-Orientales). "In recent years, Olivier Poncin had recognized that a company of this size could no longer conduct itself alone," explains David Etien, an early employee who became administrative and financial director, now future deputy CEO. He has worked to gradually entrust operational management to his team. »
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After joining the group 6 years ago, Aurélien Poncin will preside over the destiny of a vessel with 1,400 employees spread over five sites, including 580 between the Canétois shipyard and the industrial carpentry of Rivesaltes. "The roadmap we will follow is the one Olivier Poncin outlined nine years ago when he created Bali, a new range of sailing catamarans dedicated to recreational sailing. The historic Catana brand occupies the niche market of high-end boats for long-distance sailing." Since this segmentation, the listed group's sales have soared and raised the manufacturer among the world leaders. In eight financial years, turnover increased from €36 million to €148 million.
It all started twenty years ago
In the coming months, Aurélien Poncin's mission will be to lead the launch of a new activity for the group, which is the manufacture of power catamarans. To this end, Catana bought in April a Portuguese company "which should allow the establishment of a factory and the launch of a new brand. This operation was piloted from A to Z by Aurélien Poncin, "says David Etien who sees in the latter the worthy heir of his father. "Like him, Aurélien thinks quickly and well. He knows how to turn to his team. Olivier Poncin was happy to see his son take up the torch. ».
The funeral of the entrepreneur takes place this Wednesday, May 24 in La Rochelle. La Rochelle, because it is in this city on the west coast that the nautical adventure of this captain of industry began more than twenty years ago. A tribute ceremony is planned for mid-June in Canet-en-Roussillon.