Alice Huisman

Alice Huisman was born into a shipbuilding family founded by her great grandfather in 1884 and today internationally recognized as a leading custom yacht builder. The Huisman shipyard was the first in the Netherlands to receive the Royal warrant, awarded by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands during commemorative ceremonies marking the yard’s 1984 centennial.

Alice Huisman attended business school to undertake studies in public relations and management. With a thirst to travel, she took a leave of absence following her graduation in 1978 to visit America. Upon her return, her father insisted that she work first at sister company Rondal and then as his personal assistant at the shipyard. From these grass roots she has carried forward the family spirit and its ancestral philosophy – that quality will always be understood by discerning customers – to grow a business that now employs 350 full time trades people and technicians. Possessing excellent communication skills and respected throughout the marine industry Alice had leadership of the watch thrust upon her at age 43. Just one short year prior to the death of her father in December 2004 she was appointed Managing Director of Royal Huisman Shipyard – proudly the fifth consecutive generation to be at the helm of the family shipyard.