Farewell to Olivier Poncin: from Dufour to Bali, he made boating history in France
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Olivier Poncin, the CEO of Catana Group as well as designer of the Bali and Catana catamarans, passed away at the age of 69 on Sunday morning in Perpignan at the end of a long illness.
Poncin was at the top of a company that had about 1,500 employees and made 148 million euros in sales in 2022 with 16 million in profit. The Bali catamarans sail all over the world and are one of the central brands for the charter market; the Catana, on the other hand, are dedicated to a high-end segment and are sport cruising catamarans built with high-tech materials.
Who was Olivier Poncin
A native of La Rochelle, an eclectic character, part manager part designer, he began his entrepreneurial career in his early twenties with a boat dealership. By the 1980s he was already on the crest of a wave; in 1988 he took over the Dufour brand and began his rise. While bringing Dufour to prominence in the international market, he is among the founders of the Nautitech brand.
Olivier Poncin – The Birth of the Catana Group
When he left Dufour after 2000 after some corporate differences, he founded Poncin Yachts with which he launched the Harmony brand. In 2003 it bought the Catana shipyards after they went bankrupt, then added the Bali brand to the group in 2014. In less than 10 years, new catamarans have flooded the market, even dictating some trends in terms of design choices.
Those who knew him well recount that working with him was not always easy, but there is no doubt that Olivier Poncin made an important mark on the world of international boating, catamaran boating in particular, where he enjoyed an outstanding commercial achievement.
He is succeeded at the helm of the Catana Group by his son Aurélien, who receives the reins of one of the most important players in the market.
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