Anders Kurtén, CEO of Fraser, joined the company in 2023 after leading a successful strategic and financial turnaround at Baltic Yachts in Finland. A respected voice in the marine industry, he has spoken on global platforms, from the Monaco Yacht Show’s Luxury Roundtable to the BBC, championing sustainability and innovation in yachting. In this candid conversation, Kurtén reflects on how the twists and turns of a career shaped by passion and how embracing uncertainty, staying grounded in purpose, and fostering open dialogue have shaped his leadership philosophy.

• What initially drew you to this industry, and when did you realize it was your passion?

Boating has always been a part of my life. I’ve been told I was carried aboard my grandfather’s mahogany sailing boat when I was just a few months old. Growing up in Finland, our summers were spent on the Baltic Sea, and over the years, being on the water became something that felt natural.

Even so, I didn’t consider turning that passion into a profession at first. I studied business and started out in the IT sector. But after a few years, I realized I couldn’t see myself doing that for the next three or four decades. I stepped away from the corporate world and enrolled in a wooden boatbuilding school.

Those years spent restoring wooden boats were incredibly fulfilling, even though the financial rewards were modest. Eventually, in the mid-2000s, I found my way back to the business side within the marine industry. I joined Finngulf, a semi-custom sailboat manufacturer.

• What were the key turning points or milestones as you progressed in your career?

When you’re young, you tend to imagine your life unfolding in a fairly linear way. You have a plan, or at least the outline of one. But in my experience, things rarely go exactly as expected—sometimes not even close. And that’s perfectly all right. What matters more is recognizing the key moments when decisions need to be made—those forks in the road—and being open to a bit of serendipity and, hopefully, some well-timed good luck.

I’ve been fortunate to have had several professionally rewarding opportunities. One of the first major turning points came in 2005 when I joined Finngulf, a company that built semi-custom performance sailboats in the 30–50 ft range. It was a fantastic experience—until the 2008 global financial crisis, which more or less wiped out that particular market segment.

In 2010, I made a shift to the dark side and took on a role leading product development and marketing at a powerboat manufacturing company. That move turned out to be valuable; over the next ten years, I developed a strong foundation in both boat building and the powerboat segment.

Another key milestone came in 2019 when I was headhunted to lead a strategic and financial turnaround at Baltic Yachts. That role felt quite personal since I’ve always been a sailor. It also introduced me to the world of superyachts and the luxury side of the industry. And then, in 2023, I had the good fortune to take on my current role as CEO of Fraser.

• How has your leadership style evolved over the years?

One of the hardest-learned lessons in leadership for me was prioritisation. Some of the most impactful decisions you make each day aren’t about what to do but what to leave undone. The key is to focus your energy on what truly matters and accept that the world will keep moving, even if your to-do list isn’t complete.

From a management standpoint, I’ve always tried to encourage open, honest communication. If any staff member asks me a question, I will give them an honest answer. And if I cannot answer, I’ll say, “This is a question I can’t address. My apologies.” The second thing that I practice at the office—Monaco or Fort Lauderdale—is that whenever the door is open, any staff member can come in and talk about whatever is on their mind. And to their credit, most of them actually do!

Back when I was running a shipyard, I used to talk about ‘management by walking around,’ so I would make a point of actually walking through production each day because it’s a great way to make yourself available to the entire staff and get a good gut feeling for how production is running. It’s a different dynamic with a service organization, but I still try to do that at the offices I visit.

The problem with having 20 offices is that when you’re in Fort Lauderdale, there are 19 offices where you’re not! Video conferencing tools can be a great substitute for face-to-face meetings, but they’re not the same thing. You have to accept that you can’t be in all places at all times, and that’s a part of trying to prioritize smartly.

• What would your advice be for budding leaders entering this industry?

Be humble, work hard, and accept that it won’t go according to the original plan, but it might turn out OK—and it might actually turn out great! When I was 24 and had recently graduated, I envisioned a career path as a ladder. But my ladder didn’t lead upwards—it led sideways and zigzagged, which I think is a good thing because the more complete your experience is, the better. If you can understand both marketing and production and technology, it makes you a much more complete leader or expert. So don’t stress too much about career progression; instead, try to gather relevant experiences in as broad a spectrum as possible because they will come in handy later in your career.