Fabrice Maitre, Founder & COO
IMM’s founder and COO, Fabrice Maitre, has loved the sea, sailing and boats since he was a young boy. And in fact, his entire life has developed around that love. Although he grew up in Dijon, Fabrice’s family always had a sailing vessel, and sailing quickly became a passion for him. Ever an adventurer, Fabrice was a mere 18 for his first trans-oceanic deliveries. Fabrice’s commitment to the sea marked his formative years – attending the national sailing school, teaching, and skipping. He became a captain and spent many years working on a variety of both sailing and motor yachts. By the early 1990s, Fabrice was ready to transition ashore.
Looking for the path to a world on land, he quickly discovered yacht refit. Until this day, Fabrice swears that yacht refit is the only thing he has found that provided a substitute for life at sea.
Moving ashore, Fabrice helped establish the yacht refit department of a major shipyard in La Ciotat, contributing to the development of one of the Mediterranean’s most active and respected technical hubs. It was here that his reputation for operational clarity, technical precision, and calm execution under pressure began to take shape.
In 2007, following years of experience managing complex superyacht projects, Fabrice founded IMM (International Marine Management) with a clear purpose: to deliver a new approach to yacht refit management built around flexibility, transparency, and technical excellence.
The company was established to manage the ambitious refit of M/Y Octopus, a project that would set the foundation for IMM’s philosophy and operating model.
Working on projects of this scale demonstrated the importance of adapting to each vessel’s unique requirements—bringing together the right expertise, resources, and solutions wherever and whenever they were needed. It also reinforced Fabrice’s belief that owners and management teams needed a trusted partner who could provide clear communication, financial transparency, and full accountability throughout the entire refit process.
As IMM grew, this approach evolved into a global operational model designed around supporting vessels closer to their cruising regions while maintaining the highest European technical standards.
Together with partners Jean-Michel Beron and Norina Edelman, Fabrice expanded IMM’s presence into the Caribbean, establishing permanent technical capabilities in locations including Guadeloupe and Martinique to better serve clients where their vessels operate.
Today, that founding vision remains at the heart of IMM: combining international expertise with local presence, delivering tailored solutions, and providing owners, captains, and management teams with the confidence that every project is executed with transparency, precision, and accountability.
Over more than four decades in the industry, Fabrice has been involved in the management of some of the world’s most recognized superyacht projects, including M/Y Octopus, M/Y Skat, M/Y Kogo, and many others. His leadership approach is defined by a structured and hands-on style, with a strong focus on trust, collaboration, and delivering results for every stakeholder involved.
Reflecting on IMM’s continued evolution, Fabrice often frames the company’s expansion in personal terms:
“In many ways, this expansion has brought me full circle. France is where my career began, and the Tatoosh refit in La Rochelle was a significant step in both my career and superyacht refit generally. Establishing IMM’s presence here, with such a capable facility, allows us to bring our experience, standards, and approach back to a market we know deeply.”
At its core, IMM remains driven by the same ethos Fabrice established from the beginning: serving a vessel.
Refit is not simply about completing a scope of work, but about supporting the vessel, the crew, and the people who depend on it. Excellence comes from understanding the vessel’s needs, anticipating challenges, and delivering solutions with the care, accountability, and commitment expected from sailors, people who truly understand the sea.