New General Manager Appointed for Taylor Smith Shipyard

Taylor Smith Shipyard (TSS), the oldest ship repair yard on Mauritius, has appointed Willy van Niekerk as new General Manager.

van Niekerk knows the yard well and was Assistant General Manager since 2022. He has broad experience in the maritime and offshore industries, taking to sea at 14 as a school holiday job on a converted fishing vessel and deciding to study marine engineering as a result.

Throughout the years, van Niekerk sailed on container ships and bulk carriers trading worldwide, becoming chief engineer in the process, before embarked on a shore based career. His roles ashore varied from Technical Superintendent, Newbuild Superintendent, Ship Manager and Dry Dock Manager, working in South Africa, Germany and South Korea.

In his new role, he will be responsible for modernising the yard, expanding its regional scope and portfolio, and tapping into new markets. van Niekerk said: “Knowing the yard, the team and the Group, I am looking forward to growing the company and its activities to such an extent that we become the yard that everyone wants to use.”

Former MD Thierry Bétuel becomes CEO Marine Cluster. Bétuel managed the yard for 29 years, after spending 11 years in the Merchant Navy and being a Salvage Master before joining Taylor Smith Shipyard in 1994.

van Niekerk said: “Thierry’s are big shoes to fill! He was and is integral to who we are and what we do. Note that he took over from his father, Yves Bétuel, who also headed up our yard for decades. The Bétuel family is very experienced in maritime matters, has a heart for the business and I am looking forward to continue working together with Thierry.”

Operations at TSS date back to 1868. The shipyard is located in Port Louis, Mauritius, and formed the basis of what is now Taylor Smith Group, a company comprising of 38 businesses, six associate companies and 1,650 employees.