Ralf Heron is a veteran of the marina industry having developed and operated marina facilities globally. He is Managing Partner and CEO of Homeport Corporation, a large marina management company and an Asset Manager of Marinas on a global base, building a chain of branded Marinas with the highest quality standards. The company specializes in the design, development, operations and management of Marinas, as well as providing market studies and consultancy services for marinas and upland developments.
His early career focused on quality management and ISO 9000. He established QualiTech in Germany, which advised private and public companies in gaining their ISO 9000 certification/accreditation from TUV, Lloyds and Bureau Veritas. He successfully implemented ISO 9000 programs in many organizations across several industries.
He is not a typical quality management guru but uses entrepreneurial concepts in applying QM to businesses. He is the author of Quality Management- Your Key to Success and Quality Management ISO 9000 – An Introduction.
Mr. Heron has been applying the principles of using quality programs to drive profitable marine related businesses for more than 20 years. In this context, he has owned several marina companies, has been CEO of one of the world’s most successful marina design, development and management company operating in the Middle East, Europe, Africa and Asia and worked as a consultant for many large Waterfront Developments around the World.
Wael Juju has established an enviable and successful reputation promoting the boating industry in the Middle East with a new holistic approach. He spearheads Knotika Marine Mall, the first marine mall in the world, which is home to the largest marine store in the region and a sea school. Since its inception Knotika has become the gateway for boating companies to enter the Middle East market. Mr. Juju believes in advancing the boating industry across borders and in pursuit of this he expanded the Middle East boat show network to own and manage the Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain International Boat Shows supported by Knotika’s lifestyle magazine. He has been involved in every aspect of the marine industry from construction to retail and marketing, and as a guest speaker in several international forums. Mr. Juju is a firm believer in expanding the industry’s reach to wider and wider audiences. an enviable and successful reputation promoting the boating industry in the Middle East with a new holistic approach. By mixing media interests with the development of services dedicated to the leisure marine user, Knotika under Mr Juju’s leadership has become synonymous in engaging with and then supplying a new generation of boat and water sports users in the Middle East. His vision is to ensure the future enjoyment of all boat users by providing a platform for the marine business to succeed by creating innovative solutions to the challenges faced by this rapidly developing market sector. He has led Knotika to become an integral part of the Gulf Cooperation Council marina industry. His forte lies in marketing and sales in the marine environment and developing marine related businesses in the Middle East involving itself in providing for the needs of business and boat owners.
