Tanja Lutz joined our team in May of 2014, but her Seakeeper career started a few years prior. In 2010, she started selling Seakeepers as a distributor in the Balearic Islands, Spain. Her knowledge of the product and of our company in its infancy helped her when she joined as Sales Manager to grow the Northern European market. She was later promoted to EMEA Sales Manager, then to her current role, Director of Sales & Service EMEA. Tanja reflects on her early days at Seakeeper: “During this time, I managed lots of OEM, distributor and dealer accounts, different team members, and countries to travel to. I remember handling boat show stands on my own, buying paint to make-up scratched gyro displays, folding flyers and brochures before a show, organizing press events, knocking on each OEM’s door to explain why their vessels need a Seakeeper, and living for many years on a plane. I remember the day we celebrated having sold 1,000 units worldwide. Now we are selling up to 4,000 units a year!”
In her 10-years, Tanja has played a pivotal role in Seakeeper’s growth globally. Will Cimino, VP of Growth and Strategy, adds, “When Tanja joined, we had ~2,000 units in the field and today we have more than 25,000 loyal customers enjoying our gyro products on the water in every corner of the world. We’ve been able to operate on such a global scale very effectively for a company of our size, in large credit due to Tanja’s great sales ability and leadership.”
Tanja manages a team of sales and service representatives who continue to grow and support the EMEA market. Developing relationships and team building are among her many contributions. Stefano Rovegno, OEM Account Manager, says, “Tanja wrote a very important piece on the history of Seakeeper in Europe. For me she has represented the gateway to this fantastic world that is Seakeeper and the nautical industry. I will be always grateful to her for having trusted me and believed in me.”
Trust plays an important role in EMEA sales, and is part of why Tanja has stayed with Seakeeper for so long. She says, “Wanting to win new customers and to gain trust of the existing ones has helped me stay. The success in achieving high sales numbers and satisfied customers is pure adrenaline”.
Her ambition is easily visible to those around her. Jeff Pittman, Training Manager, shares, “Tanja’s work ethic is second to none. She strives for perfection and leads her team by example on how to hold the line of professionalism. Tanja is fun, energetic, and her personality has made a significant impact on supporting a product that customers and vendors want to partner with.”
Will agrees that there are some great characteristics that make it fun to work with her. He shares, “My favorite thing about Tanja is her energy – she is so passionate about Seakeeper, our people, our partners, and our end users. Our mission thrives on this passion, and it energizes everyone around Tanja to deliver their very best!” Andrea D’Agni, Dealer Sales Representative, sees this passion too. He adds, “She has brought in valuable expertise, leadership, and strategic vision that have contributed to the company’s growth and success. I’ve been fortunate to have the opportunity to learn from a great professional and have her trust for the role I currently hold.”
Part of that strategic vision involved merging the EMEA Sales and Service departments to better support our customers. Tanja says, “Merging sales and service was the best decision ever as these two departments must be a union to achieve a 360-degree customer support and great service.” Dave McLean, EMEA Service Manager, celebrated his ten-year anniversary with Seakeeper in 2023. Dave’s service leadership and his partnership with Tanja throughout their decade-long tenures in evident in our success today. Having seen Tanja’s impact on the company during her entire tenure, he says “Tanja has excelled and given her all for every role she has taken on at Seakeeper. She is the only sales person that could actually sell sand to the Arabs! We have been on many trips together and she is an excellent travel colleague.”
Relationship-building is a top priority for Tanja. “The deep relationships my team and I have always give me strength to move on, work hard to be good team leader and mentor, and to feel the bond we have here,” she says. That bond is felt by many people who work closely with Tanja. Oriol Marti, Dealer Sales Representative, says, “My favorite thing about Tanja is that we understand each other perfectly even without having the need to speak, and we are always having fun. She is my mentor in both my professional and personal life.”
During her ten years with Seakeeper, Tanja has not only grown the EMEA market and business overall, but she has also developed the professional lives of the people around her and built meaningful connections along the way. Valentina Milesi, International Marketing Assistant, shares, “As I reflect on our journey together, I can’t help but reminisce about the countless moments we’ve shared and the invaluable lessons she’s taught me. She brought me onboard and guided me through so many challenges, and together we’ve built a treasure trove of memories that I hold dear. For all of this, I want to express my deepest gratitude. I wish her all the success in the world, both professionally and personally. She deserves every bit of it.”
