Lesley heads up the Retail Charter team working out of Burgess’ Monaco office. She is both manager of the global retail team and an active Senior charter broker, with over 30 years’ experience in the yachting industry. She was made Partner in 2019.

Lesley started her yachting career at a boutique brokerage in the early 90s where she managed a small fleet of charter yachts in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. As MYBA member since the early 90s, she sat on one of its first working committees developing MYBA-net, a global online platform now called Yachtfolio, for which she still sits on the committee panel. She joined Burgess in 1996 to develop the Monaco charter department both in charter management and retail.

'My view of Burgess prior to joining was of a professional company with good people, strong values and always striving for excellence, to be the forerunners of the industry,’ she says. 'This has not changed in almost three decades that I have been at the company.’

In her role today, Lesley works closely with the heads of both sales and charter management divisions on retail charter matters and cross department projects, ensuring global retail hires and training, provides advice and develops teamwork. She participates in the leadership direction of the Burgess charter department, which comprises both charter management and retail charter. As a senior charter broker, the commercial side of her job remains a key aspect of her role, actively booking charters to both new and longstanding clientele from all around the world, some of which have gone on to build or buy yachts.

Her strengths in communications, negotiations, client relationships and people management within the workforce have come to the fore in her role as Partner. 'Looking after clients with a 360-degree vision and keeping up-to-date with the market, together with the managerial side, is what I greatly enjoy. As partner I have a responsibility to help grow the business and help plan for future generations coming up through the ranks,' she says. The relationships that she builds and nurtures with colleagues and clients is a constant source of pride and enjoyment.

Lesley has a keen awareness of worldwide yachting destinations, including the USA, Caribbean & Bahamas, Northern Europe, the Mediterranean, Indian Ocean, Asia and Pacific, not to mention the evolving legislation and requirements for each region.