Ferretti Group's chief executive Alberto Galassi has initiated a proxy contest against Weichai Power, the Chinese engine manufacturer that holds 37.37% of the Italian yacht builder and seats three of nine board members. The dispute, reported first by the Financial Times, centers on strategic direction for the Milan-listed group whose brands include Riva, Pershing, and Custom Line. Weichai acquired its stake in stages between 2012 and 2022, paying roughly €370 million across multiple tranches at valuations between €2.80 and €4.20 per share. Ferretti currently trades at €3.14, giving the company an enterprise value near €1.7 billion.

Galassi, who has led Ferretti since its 2009 restructuring and steered the 2019 Hong Kong listing that preceded the 2022 Milan migration, is seeking to dilute Weichai's influence ahead of the annual shareholder meeting expected in April or May. The CEO has not disclosed specific governance proposals but has publicly criticized Weichai's manufacturing focus as misaligned with Ferretti's positioning in the ultra-high-net-worth segment, where yachts range from €3 million to north of €30 million. Weichai produces diesel engines, hydraulics, and powertrains for commercial vehicles—a portfolio that overlaps with Ferretti's propulsion suppliers but operates at industrial margins far below luxury goods. The philosophical gap matters because Ferretti's 2023 revenue of €1.04 billion came at a 12.8% EBITDA margin, and the order book stood at €1.36 billion as of June. Weichai's automotive operations run closer to 6% margins.

The proxy fight arrives as the luxury yacht sector digests a 14-month order slowdown. Ferretti's backlog has compressed 11% year-over-year, though management maintains pricing discipline with average selling prices up 7% in the same period. Galassi's complaint is that Weichai's board representatives push cost discipline appropriate for trucking but corrosive in a market where brand equity and bespoke engineering justify premium multiples. The Italian executive has support from Piero Ferrari, son of Enzo, who holds 13.2% through his Razer Capital vehicle and has historically aligned with management on design and exclusivity questions. Ferrari's stake, acquired in 2016 for roughly €85 million, gives him blocking power on extraordinary resolutions requiring two-thirds approval. If Galassi secures Ferrari's backing and pulls in another 10-12% from free float—pension funds and Italian retail—he can force a board reconstitution or at minimum dilute Weichai's committee presence.

Allocators and operators should mark three dates. First, Ferretti's Q4 and full-year 2024 results drop in mid-March, likely showing order intake trends that will either validate Galassi's defense of premium strategy or expose margin pressure. Second, the proxy materials must be filed 30 days before the AGM, so expect detailed governance proposals by late March if the meeting holds to the typical April slot. Third, Sanlorenzo—Ferretti's closest listed peer—reports earnings in early March, providing a sector benchmark on pricing and backlog. Sanlorenzo's €1.9 billion order book and 15.1% EBITDA margins will either support Galassi's claim that brand-first governance works, or undercut it if Sanlorenzo shows better working capital efficiency under tighter financial oversight. The outcome is not a vote on yachts. It is a vote on whether luxury industrials are better run by operators who came up through product, or by shareholders who see assets and cashflows.

Weichai has not filed a counter-slate or public response, which suggests either confidence in its board seats or preparation for a negotiated settlement where Galassi gets ceremonial concessions in exchange for dropping the contest. The latter would be the quiet outcome. The former would make this the first contested luxury-goods proxy fight in Italy since Luxottica in 2017, and the only one in marine.