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Carlo Agliardi, a prominent entrepreneur in the yachting world, particularly in brokerage where he also served as CEO and president of Fraser Yachts, has died. He passed away at the age of 74.
It was 1992. American companies were on the crest of a wave, and Italy was grappling with a less than reassuring environment. The Mani Pulite case had made the yacht brokerage industry a breeding ground for illicit transactions, leading to market paralysis in Italy. Carlo Agliardi along with partners Alex Mazzoni and Antonio Pozzi of Italyachting, meanwhile, had acquired a stake in Fraser Yachts.
Italyachting was having a very successful period with two major contracts: the construction of the 43-meter exploratory yacht Maupiti, and the sale of the 38-meter Christensen Fifty-one, negotiated with Jane Buffington of Fraser Yachts. Italyachting emerged as a powerhouse, but the Italian situation was putting a strain on the company. Carlo and his partners decided to move to Monaco, which was emerging as the nautical capital of the Mediterranean. There they founded United Yachting in partnership with a local brokerage firm. Before long, Charles negotiated the acquisition of the Fraser Yachts subsidiary in Fort Lauderdale, thus positioning Fraser as a market leader with a strong presence on both sides of the Atlantic.
Charles distinguished himself as a talented broker and strategic entrepreneur. Under his leadership, Fraser Yachts established itself as a “one-stop shop” for yacht owners, introducing divisions for yacht management, charter and crew placement. He was also instrumental in the creation of the MYBA (Mediterranean Yacht Brokers Association), helping to draft the industry’s standardized contracts.
In 1999, Carlo and David Fraser merged all Fraser Yachts businesses into a single entity called Fraser Yachts Worldwide. Visionary in his approach, Carlo promoted the use of technology in the business, leading the development of Fraser’s in-house CRM, known as FLINK.
In 2004, Carlo negotiated the sale of the company to the Azimut Benetti Group, retaining a minority stake with V-Ships. Although it was a dream deal, it was also a bittersweet moment for him. He remained with Fraser as CEO and then president until 2010, when he decided to focus on a new project: an organic farm in Tuscany with olive groves and vineyards.
He passed away in January 2025 at the age of 74.
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