The principals
Professionals who have built, sailed, and delivered.
Yacht Consulting Group does not employ sales staff. Every client engagement is led by a working professional — a licensed master, chief engineer, or chartered engineer who has stood watches, read drawings, and held classification surveyors to account.
Experience that cannot be delegated.
Our principals have accumulated careers across commercial shipping, superyacht construction, naval shipyards, and offshore operations. When we represent your interests at a shipyard, it is not a project coordinator reading a checklist — it is a professional who has built vessels of the same type, in the same yards, to the same class requirements. That distinction is the foundation of everything we do.
John Phillips
CEO
Consultant — Systems Engineering, Refit and New Builds
John Phillips brings executive leadership and deep technical expertise in systems engineering to Yacht Consulting Group's refit and new build programmes. With a career spanning complex marine systems integration, John oversees the strategic direction of YCG's consulting engagements and ensures that every project benefits from rigorous systems-level thinking — from initial specification through to commissioning and delivery. His background bridges the commercial and technical dimensions of superyacht projects, providing owners with clear, independent guidance at every stage.
Capt. Adrian Simpson, M.Eng
Managing Consultant
Systems Engineering, Refit and New Builds
With 30 years at sea across commercial shipping, private charter, and superyacht operations, Captain Simpson brings an exceptional depth of practical experience to every project. He has accumulated over 150,000 nautical miles under his command and has served as build captain or refit captain on more than 25 super and mega yachts. His involvement spans the full build cycle — from keel-laying and structural oversight through to sea trials, classification, and final delivery. Clients benefit from a captain who has not only managed the paperwork, but has stood the watch.
Ronald Ruiz
Chief Engineer
Refit Specialist
Ronald Ruiz brings over 15 years of hands-on experience as a yacht engineer and refit engineer, with a particular specialisation in our refit programme. He has overseen mechanical, electrical, and systems work across a wide range of vessel types and sizes, and is the lead engineer on all refit projects managed by Yacht Consulting Group. Ronald's practical approach and deep technical knowledge make him an invaluable presence at the shipyard — ensuring that every system is commissioned correctly and every specification is met before a vessel leaves the yard.
Elena Rostova, CEng
Chief Marine Engineer
Technical Director
A Chartered Engineer with 18 years as a naval shipyard supervisor, Elena Rostova brings rare institutional depth to the YCG technical team. Her career has centred on hybrid diesel-electric propulsion overhauls across naval and commercial fleets, with particular expertise in vibration attenuation and thermodynamic efficiency. Elena leads all technical due diligence on new build specifications and refit scopes, ensuring that engineering decisions are grounded in first-principles analysis rather than shipyard convenience.
Hsinyu Chang
Executive Manager
Asian Shipyard Operations
Hsinyu Chang leads Yacht Consulting Group's operations across Asian shipyards, bringing deep regional expertise and established relationships with leading builders throughout Taiwan, mainland China, and Southeast Asia. Her role bridges the cultural and logistical complexities of commissioning superyacht projects in the Pacific Rim — from initial shipyard selection and contract negotiation through to construction oversight and delivery coordination. Hsinyu's bilingual capability and long-standing presence in the regional marine industry ensure that owner interests are represented with precision at every stage of the build process.
How we work
No commercial conflicts
We have no financial relationship with any shipyard, crew agency, chandler, or service provider. Our only obligation is to the owner.
Principals on every project
We do not delegate client work to junior staff. A named principal is accountable for every project we undertake.
Discreet by design
We do not publicise client names, vessel identities, or project details. Confidentiality is a professional obligation, not a marketing position.
Independent at every stage
From specification through delivery, our advice is independent of the shipyard's commercial interests. We are retained by the owner, and we answer to the owner.
Speak with a principal directly.
We welcome enquiries from owners, brokers, and legal representatives. Initial conversations are confidential and without obligation.