The Bridge Group

About our Journey

The Yacht Bridge Group is the owning company behind some of the Superyacht industry’s better known companies. Our goal is to provide exceptional services to sub sectors of the yachting industry using our knowledge, experience, and above all our fantastic team. We were set up in 2022 to manage our growing group of companies. We focus very much on the service side of the Superyacht industry and use our vast industry experience to ensure all our clients receive the very best service. Our clients vary but our relationships are almost always with crew. We build, nurture and manage these relationships as trust in this industry is more valuable than anything else.

Our Mission

Ever since the creation of our first company MGMT, Mark and the team have always looked at what they believe to be the best way to do things rather than the “industry norm” As a result of this refreshing approach to business and the Superyacht industry we have always done it “our way”. We are NOT sheep! We don’t see other businesses as competition, we try to collaborate as much as possible with the end goal of making our clients’ experience exceptional. Honesty, integrity and the truth are the core foundations of what we do. We will never tell our clients “what they want to hear” only the reality of a situation. Because of this, we have built a reputation for doing what we say, being straight with all of our customers and never sugar coating the truth.

Our Vision

This has resulted in a lot of long term, trust based relationships where clients of one business use our others simply because they know we get things done with minimal fuss, delay or complication. All our companies deal directly with crew, either as a direct client or a representative of the yacht owner they work for. We understand how they work, the standards they expect, and more often than not, the questions they will ask. Because of that, we make their jobs and lives much less stressful. We never settle for second best and always ask the question “Can we do this better?” which always has a positive and long lasting effect on our clients’ experience

Our Members

Meet the Team

Mark Upton

Managing Director, The Bridge Group

Mark grew up by the sea and spent the majority of his childhood sailing. It came as no real surprise that after leaving university Mark went to train and then work on Superyachts. Making his way from Deckhand to Captain Mark returned to land in 2007 and worked for a few years in Yacht management based in Monaco and the UK. Mark set up MGMT in 2009 as a means to help new owners find their way through the tricky process of buying or building a Superyacht. In 2011, with the London Olympics looming large in the distance, Mark and Nigel Upton set up what has become the UK’s largest and most successful Superyacht agency. Crew Family Office followed in 2015 as Mark is a firm believer in giving something back to the industry. He made a mess of the financial side of his life at sea and wanted to help others avoid doing the same. Mark can’t take credit for setting up Superyacht Content but the success of the other businesses provided the means to buy it in 2020. These companies, combined with Superyacht Tenders form the Bridge Group.

Brendan Thomson

CEO, The Bridge Group

Brendan qualified as an accountant with BDO before changing tack and forming a sparkling wine business. Having built and then sold this business Brendan has been working with Mark to expand the Yacht Bridge group and provide the best services for yacht crew. Brendan’s expertise lie in structure, finance and strategic growth. All areas where he has proven to be extremely successful. Initially joining CrewFO in 2016 Brendan is a leading industry specialist in Seafarers tax but is now also focused on expanding the team, increasing profits and growing the Yacht Bridge Group as a whole.

Nigel Upton

Director, Superyacht Tenders

Some of Nigel’s earliest memories are of time spent on the water. This really set the tone for what was to come after finishing university. Armed with his Yachtmaster and Padi diving qualifications he landed his first job abroad at the UKSA Barbados academy teaching sailing and diving courses and never looked back. After many years at sea Nigel eventually took the decision to go land based and set up a sales and charter business in the Balearics which soon developed into something far more specialised in the form of a yacht tender sales, brokerage and advisory services. SYT was born and the business has grown from strength to strength over the years supporting a growing number of large yachts in this unique sector. Nigel now lives in Barcelona and with 26 years since leaving the UK he feels privileged to have spent so many years travelling the world and meeting so many amazing people along the way combining what was originally a hobby into a professional career.

Monica Hart

Director, MGMT

Monica comes from a business and yachting background which gives her the benefit of experience in both worlds. Originally working in HR for a large construction firm Monica made the move to Superyachts in 2016. She travelled extensively and worked her way up to 2nd Stewardess on board a world travelling Motor Yacht. In 2021 the time came for the next stage in Monica’s career and she made the move back to the UK. We already knew Monica as she was a CFO member and offered her the job of getting Superyacht content back into shape. She did this, along with some CFO work without blinking and so, in 2022 Monica moved to operations manager at MGMT. The company and team continues to grow under Monica’s management. We are excited to see what challenges we can throw at her next.

Georgina Baum

Operations Manager, MGMT

Georgina began her career in the super yacht industry just over ten years ago. After working her way up the ranks and fulfilling her goals on the yachts, Georgina decided to switch up her career, to become an Operations Assistant for MGMT. Her extensive experience and knowledge makes her a brilliant asset to MGMT, and she has aided some of the world's most prestigious yachts with once in a lifetime itineraries and shore support during their time in the UK. Georgina’s dedication to the highest levels of service, combined with attention to detail and persistence is what has helped MGMT develop such a good reputation within the yachting industry.

Hannah Brown

Operations Manager, MGMT

Hannah's career began as a watersports instructor for two years before making the leap into yachting as a deckhand. Over the next eight years, she worked aboard superyachts, travelling the world and developing a wide range of skills. After eight years on deck, Hannah decided to pursue a slower pace of life and began working at a private villa alongside a private yacht in Sardinia as a dedicated tender driver. Following many years working abroad, she has now returned to the UK and joined MGMT. First as an Operations Assistant and worked her way up to Operations Manager. What she enjoys most about this position is that it is constantly evolving with each new yacht request. Having worked on yachts herself, she understands the high standards of service expected and the level of communication required to ensure every yacht visit is a success.

Nisrine Roustomi

Marketing Manager, The Bridge Group

Nisrine is a results-driven marketing professional with a strong academic foundation and a passion for driving business success. She holds a Marketing and Management degree from Queen Mary, University of London, a leading research-intensive institution. She initially joined the company as a part-time Social Media Manager, and her passion for data-driven results and marketing quickly became evident. The company's social media presence experienced rapid growth and engagement, paving the way for her continued progress within the group. As the Head of Marketing for The Bridge Group, Nisrine creates and manages the companies’ marketing strategies with her innovative approach to marketing and understanding of market trends to support the company in its continued success.

Natalia Goddard

Brand Manager, The Bridge Group

As the in-house designer for The Bridge Group, Natalia manages the company's creative direction by collaborating with the marketing team to create digital marketing and branding materials for both the company and their clients. Before Natalia became a member of The Bridge Group's design team, she created content in the printing field where she worked with several publishers in the automobile industry to design content for various car magazines.

Hugh Hay

Sales Manager, Superyacht Tenders

Hugh Hay is the company Sales Manager with 15 years of experience onboard luxury yachts (up to 90 meters). As a Superyacht expert, he ensures a smooth purchase process with his extensive knowledge and understanding. Focused on client satisfaction, Hugh effectively communicates with yacht owners, captains, and yacht managers, leveraging his expertise in vessel management and tender operations. His professionalism and personable nature make him a valuable asset. “I am always happy to discuss your tender needs anytime, give me a call” Says Hugh

Bradley Van Biljon

Accountant, CrewFO

Bradley hails from the east coast of South Africa. He spent 3 years working as a deckhand on yachts in the Mediterranean, before deciding to further his studies. He is currently completing a MA in Accounting and Finance in Scotland, during which he has continued to work on yachts during his summers. Bradley started working for MGMT as a yacht agent and also assists in overseeing the accounts of the various companies. Bradley transitioned to CrewFO where he assists crew with all their tax and financial needs.