Henry is one of the world’s leading specialists in the sale, purchase and new construction of large sailing and motor yachts. Born into a family of mariners – stretching back to the founding Commodore of the Royal Yacht Squadron – he is a passionate advocate for the sustainable merits of sailing. Since joining Burgess in 1999 he has helped navigate the company through a financial crash, global pandemic, and some of the largest yacht sales in history. As elected Partner Representative he sat on the company’s Group Strategic Board in two consecutive terms from 2019-2023.
‘There were only 10 people in the company when I joined, which presented the opportunity to work across all departments and gave me a much broader understanding of the business going forward,’ he says. ‘It was an excellent introduction into large yacht sales – both sail and motor.’
As a highly accomplished keelboat racer and championship level sailor, his sale of the renowned 1928 J Class yacht CAMBRIA in 2004 launched Burgess’ now well established and highly specialist sailing yacht division. Since then, Henry has been involved in four of the five largest brokerage deals in the industry. These include the iconic sailing yacht MALTESE FALCON sold for the first time in 2010, and the largest valued yacht transaction to ever take place in the second-hand yacht market.
The second of his two-year terms (2019-21 and 2021-23) as Partner Representative came during a time of consistent growth for Burgess, when the company’s advancing management style and market success saw it enter a new phase of development. Today his role comprises senior sales, corporate strategy and mentorship in equal measure.
‘It’s rare for someone to stay in one company for as long as I have, but Burgess is a constantly evolving business with a malleable and adaptable team, and I think that’s exciting,’ he says. ‘Becoming the go-to guy for very large sailing boats is a feather in my cap, but I believe my loyalty and general commercial awareness are my strongest values to the business.’
