About Us
Our Ft Lauderdale and Barcelona staff look forward to welcoming you to Elite Crew! Please stop on by!
Karina Roholte Befeld
Founder & Senior Crew Agent | karina@elitecrewintl.com
Founder and President of Elite Crew International, she has brought Elite Crew International to the forefront of the industry. After spend many years working onboard luxury yachts she saw a gap in the way crew were recruited and decided to bring a new approach to crew placement. Her knowledge, attention to detail, strength and experience has enabled her to put together a highly experienced team, whom have been with her for many years. They offer a hands-on approach with a more personal touch to more than 1800 Mega yachts worldwide. Her reputation in the industry continues to be unsurpassed. Karina Roholte Befeld and ECI have become the "go to" resource for industry questions, trends and surveys. As an industry authority, Karina has been quoted by major yachting publications worldwide. Karina also attends the International Boat Shows and has been a guest speaker at Captain Seminars for several large European shipyards.
Nora J. Lewark
Placement Coordinator & Receptionist | nora@elitecrewintl.com
Nora has been with Elite Crew International ever since its inception in 1998! She is the first person to welcome you with a smile into our head office in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Nora is a knowledgeable member to the ECI family and is invaluable to the day to day operations. No one goes unnoticed on her watch!
Madeleine Bensch
Crew Agent / Accounts | madeleine@elitecrewintl.com
Madeleine became part of the Elite Crew International team in early 2006. Having a strong background in yachting and a Degree in Industrial Psychology, she’s one of our highly experienced Crew Agents! She looks forward to providing professional and dedicated service to our clients and crew.
Annie Hilerio
Executive Assistant to Founder & Senior Crew Coordinator | annie@elitecrewintl.com
Annie joined Elite Crew International in 2007. She brings with her a background in human resources which has enabled her to be quite adept at screening and interviewing newly registered crew. She also helps educate crew of their rights (according to MLC 2006 guidelines), verifies references & licenses, and offers career counseling.
Bethany Laurenti
Crew Coordinator | support@elitecrewintl.com
Bethany came to Elite Crew International bringing with her clerical skills and a background in the legal field. She has a strong work ethic and is driven to succeed in this industry. Her dedication to her work and her proven longevity have made her a valued asset to her employers.
Lillian Shore
Crew Coordinator | jobs@elitecrewintl.com
Lillian joined the growing team at ECI in 2017. She was born and raised on the coast of South Florida – the Yachting Capital of the World. Growing up in a family of mariners she's spent many years working and sailing on the water. Her knowledge of the industry and eagerness to assist has been welcomed by her coworkers and their crew.
Lina Palm
Barcelona Office Manager | lina@elitecrewintl.com
Lina was headhunted years ago to run our Barcelona office. Originally from Sweden, she is charming, outgoing and very professional. With a background in hospitality and over seven years of working as a Chief Stewardess on yachts, she brings with her some first-hand knowledge and experience from the yachting industry. Lina looks forward to welcoming you to our office suites at One Ocean Port Vell in Barcelona!
Amalie Ilsing Roholte
Reference Checks- Assistant | Crew@elitecrewintl.com
Amalie came to us from Denmark with a background in hospitality, she works in our Barcelona office. Amalie is charming and smiley and spends most of her day her greeting crew, but her main job is checking & verifying references. Along with Lina, Amalie looks forward to seeing you in our Barcelona office inside Marina port Vell.
Meet our Consultants
Fiona Johnson
With over 10 years in the Maritime industry, five years in Crew HR Management Fiona knows what it takes to make an impactful first impression. Her creativity and vision will transform your Resume from Ordinary to Extra Ordinary, representing the best of who you are to your prospective Employer. Her Resume and CV services and Pre-Interview Coaching will have you standing out among your peers with the confidence to landing your dream job. For more information please visit www.BlueStarStandardIntl.com or send her an email directly at: Fiona@bluestarstandardintl.com
Bob Befeld
Retired Yacht Captain & Consultant
Co-founder of Elite Crew International in 1998, he now works behind the scenes in operations and computer development. Bob has over 21 years experience as a yacht Captain.
Cory Howard
IT Managed Services Provider | cory@dynamicsupport.com
Cory has provided IT support and consulting for Elite Crew International since 2010 on behalf of Dynamic Network Support (ECI’s IT Managed Services provider). He has been an ‘IT Guy’ for nearly 20 years both for the Army and in the civilian world. He is highly certified and has a wide range of IT skills encompassing all of ECI’s needs and more.