Quit tennis at 22 - now I work on superyachts and want to hit £1bn mark'

A former tennis player turned yacht management executive, Flanagan, discussed quitting tennis at 22 after injuries ended the trajectory that followed early success, including winning Youth Olympics and beating Mark Philippoussis at the Queen’s Club in 2004. He highlighted that his company, Voly, identified a “gap in the market” to professionalize yacht management, arguing that captains focus on navigation rather than finance roles like CFOs or finance directors. Voly, described as a market leader, has grown from an initial team of eight to more than 200 employees, serving clients described as “the rich and famous.” Flanagan said he plans to reach a £1 billion goal and credits a competitive streak for pushing through setbacks, including failed investments. After releasing new superyacht management software, he told Forbes the roadmap includes additional products such as planned maintenance, ISM-related capabilities, and possibly navigation, aiming for real-time data for owner support.