Blohm+Voss Megayachts refit site in La Ciotat: Jean-Gabriel Tridon appointed as General Manager and Dieter Pladeck appointed as Finance Director

Hamburg/La Ciotat, 18 July 2016 – Blohm+Voss has appointed Jean-Gabriel Tridon as General Manager and Dieter Pladeck as Finance Director for its new maintenance and refit facility in La Ciotat in the south of France. The company has filled the two management positions only two weeks after winning the local tender of La Ciotat Shipyards for the setting up of the new site. In La Ciotat, Blohm+Voss will focus on the maintenance and refit of megayachts of over 80 meters in length.

Fred van Beers, Chief Executive Officer at Blohm+Voss: “We are filling these key positions with familiar faces. We know both Jean-Gabriel Tridon and Dieter Pladeck well and know that they have what it takes to master this challenging position as part of our current growth strategy. Jean-Gabriel Tridon has a solid background in refits and maintenance of large vessels and is strongly connected within the industry. He also has excellent communication skills in French, German and English and will be able to translate customer demands into quality deliveries in La Ciotat as is expected from Blohm+Voss. Dieter Pladeck knows the financial structures of Blohm+Voss extremely well and has contributed significantly to the preparation process for the new megayachts refit site in La Ciotat.”

Jean-Gabriel Tridon is a French citizen and holds a degree in nautical sciences (Master Mariner) from the University of Applied Sciences Ostfriesland (Germany), a degree in naval architecture and ocean engineering from the University of Applied Sciences in Bremen (Germany) and a degree in marine services from Lloyd’s Maritime Academy (England). He has worked at sea and ashore for renowned companies such as Hapag-Lloyd and Meyer Werft, and worked with Blohm+Voss in Hamburg as Dock Operations Coordinator from 2009 to 2011 and as a Construction Manager from 2011 to 2014.

Dieter Pladeck is a qualified banker and a graduate economist. After studying economic sciences at the Ruhr University in Bochum (Germany), he worked for various renowned companies of the ThyssenKrupp group before joining Blohm+Voss in 1998. At Blohm+Voss, he has been Head of Finance and Accounting and General Manager and an authorised officer for several subsidiaries.

Jean-Gabriel Tridon and Dieter Pladeck are looking forward to their new challenge in La Ciotat. Jean Gabriel Tridon: “I am very excited about rejoining Blohm+Voss in the heart of the Mediterranean. The goal is clear: we want to get the facility ready for our customers as soon as possible. Our main focus within the first months will therefore be to set up the facility and the local organisation, and to build a strong network of local suppliers to get the job done.” The operational business in La Ciotat is scheduled to start by 1 November 2016.

SOURCE: Blohm+Voss