With a solid background in commercial management in the construction and other heavy industrial industries, Brenton has headed up Sydney City Marine since 2013, applying his ability to manage competing deadlines, project time frames and the allocation of labour whilst undertaking numerous large upgrade projects to the facility itself.
Brenton completed his degree in Business at La Trobe University and, while working in the family business, he has learnt through hands-on experience the formula for expanding operations while retaining staff and loyal clientele.
Brenton is able to juggle ‘big picture’ plans for SCM with the minutiae of day to day operations such as ensuring the right people and resources are applied to each job. His vision for SCM is to continue to go from strength to strength whilst remaining the one-stop multi-purpose marine facility for Commercial, Defence, Superyacht and Recreational craft from anywhere on the east coast and beyond.
Key to fulfilling these ambitions is investment in SCM and its facilities, including a 47 Tonne submersible trailer, which can handle multihulls up to 70-feet, 800 Tonne Synchro-lift, 45 Ton land transporter, 600 Ton land transporter and a commitment to invest in the best staff, the best contractors and the latest technologies available to ensure that SCM remains at the forefront of the industry.
“SCM is a modern, purpose-built facility that offers commercial and recreational clients, access to some of the industry’s most qualified and skilled marine professionals and trades. With our commitment to continual improvement and refinement of our facilities to ensure the agility of our facility, our commercial premises continue to attract high profile tenants and trades, which completes the offering to our clients.”
In his second stint at SCM, John returned to the role of General Manager with a focus on commercial and defence segments and the focus to implement a long-term plan for the company’s growth.
During his career, John has held Marina Manager roles, and owned and operated boat building factories in Sydney and the NSW Central Coast. From 2009 to 2014, John was Business Development Manager, then Project Manager, overseeing major refits and build projects at SCM.
He then took up an opportunity to live and work in Dubai, during which time he held senior positions in the composite superyacht industry, before moving into construction sector where he worked on diverse projects, most notably the Sustainability Pavilion for Expo 2020.
John’s objective is to take the business to the next level, capitalising on what is the newest and most technologically advanced facility in New South Wales.
With an emphasis on customer service, safety and rigorous practices that protect workers and the environment, John also aims to encourage and attract the next generation into the marine industry with clear and rewarding pathways.
John is a seasoned sailor with vast experience in yachting, both competitive and recreational, and was among the winning crew aboard Micropay Cuckoo’s Nest, the 1993 Sydney Hobart IMS overall winner.
Warren Levin, Director, Commercial & Defence
Warren has an impressive background of 20 years serving in the Royal Australian Navy as a Clearance Diver, which took him to places such as the US, South East Asia, UK and Europe to work with foreign Navies.
One of the many highlights of his naval career was becoming one of the inaugural instructional staff to be trained in the UK and Germany to become a submarine rescue and escape instructor.
Following his service with RAN, Warren spent 20 years as a Business Development and Strategy Management expert.
Warren brings a wealth of a distinctive professional knowledge of Defence Industry business and market know-how to Sydney City Marine. In addition to a strong track record of managing global business development opportunities and national-level projects for the Australian and international defence and maritime markets in corporate roles, Warren has held key senior positions in some of the larger Defence primes in Australia such as Serco Defence, UGL Limited and DMS Maritime.
While working at DMS Maritime, Warren led the now successful Cape Class Patrol Boat bid for the vessel’s maintenance contract and was also instrumental in establishing both Defence and commercial business relations in Kuwait and the UAE in conjunction with a US-based vessel builder. Working in the Middle East and respecting the cultural distinctions provided the ideal environment to further develop his relationship building and negotiation skills.
Warren is accustomed to working at the highest levels of military organisations, international Embassies and the corporate sector. He provides expert guidance in executing strategy and planning, initiating business development and overseeing ensuing projects.
He is highly perceptive in identifying and negotiating productive partnerships, alliances and contracts, and combines intelligence and business acumen, underscored by decades of military discipline, planning and strategy.
Equipped with a unique insight into conducting business with the Defence Forces, locally and internationally, Warren focuses on identifying new opportunities in the commercial and defence markets that will position Sydney City Marine as “the ship repairer and maintenance facility of choice”.
SCM is a uniquely positioned and well-established business that has the potential to become a strategically vital and alternative facility to the Royal Australian Navy’s drydock shipyard when it is closed for a mandatory refurbishment.
“My main objective is to ensure that Defence and the broader Defence Industry are made aware of the numerous capabilities of Sydney City Marine through the myriad Defence associations, as well as networking at the Pacific International Maritime Exposition in Sydney in October, which will attract leaders in the commercial maritime and naval defence industries.”
Warren has been married for 36 years with a daughter and son who are currently finishing up their studies at University. When time permits, he also enjoys travelling with his family.