02 JANUARY 2025
Fraser Statement on the death of Paolo Vitelli
Following the announcement of the death of Azimut|Benetti Group founder Paolo Vitelli at the age of 77, the whole Fraser team extends their sincere condolences to his family and all who knew him. Mr Vitelli was a true titan of our industry, founding Azimut in 1969 and expanding its presence significantly in Italy’s superyacht sector before acquiring Benetti in 1985 and forming the Azimut|Benetti Group.
In a prolific career, Mr Vitelli also founded a chain of hotels in Italy and France, was responsible for the construction of several new tourist ports and was president of Confindustria Nautica from 1998 to 2006. He was appointed as the Consul of Norway from 1974 to 2018 and was a member of the Italian parliament from 2013 to 2015.
Fraser was part of the Azimut|Benetti Group from 2004 - 2019.
Fraser CEO Anders Kurtén comments: “Paolo Vitelli’s unrivaled experience and insight played a significant role in shaping Fraser into the company it is today. Our team was privileged to experience his leadership and we extend our sympathies to his loved ones as well the entire Azimut|Benetti family.”
The Azimut|Benetti Group paid tribute to Mr Vitelli as “an extraordinary protagonist in the history of the nautical world and Italian entrepreneurship, and above all, a steadfast and profoundly human point of reference for all of us.”
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