Lorenza is a Mechanical Engineer from Italy who entered the yachting industry by chance. In 2000, she applied for a position at Benetti, and one week later, she was working in their shipyard. She later moved to Lürssen, where she has been a project manager since 2018.
Lorenza oversees the relationship between clients and the shipyard. She is responsible for managing project costs, meeting deadlines, and ensuring high-quality construction. A fan of cinema, Lorenza hopes to one day work on a project for someone in the film industry.
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Can you introduce yourself by sharing your name, where you're from, your role in the yachting industry, and the company you work for?
I’m a Mechanical Engineer. I was born in 1974 in Lucca, a small, charming town in the heart of Tuscany, Italy. I’m married and have two wonderful kids—a boy and a girl, aged 14 and 11.
Since 2018, I have been working as a Project Manager at Lürssen-Kröger Werft in Germany.
Can you share how you first got involved in the yachting industry?
I got into the yachting world by chance. I heard about a shipyard in Viareggio, Benetti, and sent them my CV. I didn’t have any previous experience in building boats, and this was my first job after university. It was mainly out of curiosity—I didn’t think they would have an opportunity for me.
That was in September 2000, and a week after my interview, I was already working in their production department. I worked at Benetti from 2000 until 2018. After my initial experience in production, I primarily worked as a Project Manager. Since June 2018, I have been working in Germany at Lürssen as a Project Manager.
Can you describe your role and the key tasks you handle? What does your job entail on a daily basis?
As a project manager, my main task is to achieve the overall goals of the project—technical, economic, and time-related—by engaging with all stakeholders, both internal and external, and coordinating their efforts (yes, I know, it’s a very boring definition…).
Essentially, I work between the Client’s world and the Yard’s world, ensuring that everyone meets the project’s main deadlines and that the required quality standards are achieved. This also involves controlling and managing all cost-related processes, including handling modification requests that may come from the Client or their team.
Could you walk us through a typical workday, including your main tasks and projects?
On one side, I manage the client’s world. This involves holding weekly meetings with the owner’s representative team, which includes interior and exterior designers as well as specific consultants.
The purpose of these meetings is to ensure that we receive the necessary information to build the yacht on time, in accordance with the building specifications, and within budget.
During these meetings:
We may present drawings, 3D models, or renderings for approval.
We may discuss documentation provided by the owner’s representative team (e.g., interior plans, renderings, AV specifications, navigation equipment specs, etc.).
We may review new requests or wishes from the owner’s side.
We may verify samples and mock-ups.
We may meet with the yacht’s main subcontractors to discuss their scope of supply.
We may review the status of the yacht’s deadlines.
My role includes organizing the meetings, preparing the agenda, and drafting the meeting minutes. I also organize and coordinate my internal team to ensure we are fully prepared for these discussions.
On the other side is the yard’s world. I hold weekly meetings with my internal team (both group meetings and targeted discussions with key figures) and, of course, meetings with the board of management.
With the team, the focus is primarily operational:
Reviewing the status of drawings.
Tracking subcontractor orders.
Monitoring progress on board activities.
With the management, we mainly focus on identifying risks and addressing potential challenges.
Can you describe what it's like to work at Lürssen Yachts? What is the work environment and company culture like?
Absorbing but inspiring. We work hard, but we also have fun.
What changes have you observed in the industry since you began your career?
Yes, I have! Our clients have become more demanding in terms of technology and attention to the environment—these were aspects I had never heard about twenty years ago.
What is your vision for the future of the yachting industry?
Climate change and the protection of the environment are themes that, in my opinion, will become central in the yachting industry: being emission-free, having energy-saving systems, using more sustainable materials, and perhaps rethinking our processes in a different way to reduce our carbon footprint.
Is there something about you or your work that most people might not know?
Despite working in a shipyard, I’m very sorry to say I’m not a sailor. I love the sea, but I don’t share the same passion for sailing that many of my colleagues have! I’m quite a boring person who likes to spend time with my family. I’m a huge cinema fan (I once spent a whole night outside just waiting to buy tickets for the Tom Cruise/Nicole Kidman Kubrick movie premiere at the Venice Film Festival). I’d love to build a yacht for someone in the cinema business!
What advice would you give to your younger self, and what do you wish you had known on your first day in the yachting industry?
The yachting world is a small world, but it is important to stay connected. I’d tell myself to stay connected and better manage my relationships.
Get in touch with Lorenza Allegrini
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luerssenyachts/
Website: https://www.lurssen.com/en/
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