About Us
Atlantico is a yacht crew consultancy focused exclusively on interior and galley recruitment.
Founded in 2018 by Deniz Kurt, Atlantico is built on extensive first-hand experience within the yachting industry and a more selective, personal approach to crew recruitment. Rather than operating as a high-volume agency, Atlantico focuses on carefully selected candidates, long-term relationships and a direct understanding of life on board.
Through a headhunting-led approach, Atlantico works closely with yacht owners, captains and management companies to provide efficient, discreet and well-matched crew solutions. The focus has always remained the same: quality over volume, personal communication and a recruitment process shaped by real industry experience. Our sole focus is on offering an even more thorough and efficient service which is also be significantly quicker.
Atlantico not only brings clients and crew together, but also creates strong and lasting relationships with them.
Founder & Owner
DENIZ KURT
Deniz Kurt has built an international career over more than 10 years as a private chef and superyacht chef before founding Atlantico Crew Consultancy.
After completing her culinary education at MSA Culinary Arts Academy in Istanbul, she continued her studies in Italian cuisine at Alma La Scuola Internazionale di Cucina Italiana, one of Italy’s most respected culinary institutions, where she obtained her Professional Italian Chef Diploma.
Her culinary career in Italy included Michelin-level restaurant experience at Ristorante Il Marchesino inside Milan’s iconic La Scala Theatre, founded by legendary chef Gualtiero Marchesi, as well as Armani Nobu Milano, part of Nobu Matsuhisa’s internationally renowned restaurant group. She also worked at the historic two Michelin-starred restaurant Antica Corona Reale in Turin / Italy.
After her restaurant career, Deniz Kurt combined her culinary background with her passion for the sea, progressing from 24-meter yachts to Head Chef positions on superyachts up to 75 meters. Throughout her yachting career, she has sailed more than 50,000 nautical miles worldwide, including six Atlantic crossings, with extensive voyages through the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, the Pacific, the Galapagos Islands and the North Sea.
In 2018, she founded Atlantico Crew Consultancy, focusing exclusively on interior, galley and yacht crew consultancy with a more selective and personal approach to recruitment.
Alongside her consultancy work, Deniz Kurt has developed and led Professional Superyacht Chef Training programs in collaboration with MSA Culinary Arts Academy, training chefs for the international yachting sectors. The program later received international accreditation under the AIMA Guest umbrella.
Her work in gastronomy and yachting has also extended into television and publishing. In 2022, she hosted a 26-episode food and travel television program exploring gastronomy and maritime culture across Mediterranean. She is also the author of Islak Menü (Wet Menu), a culinary travel book shaped by her experiences across Europe, the Caribbean and the Pacific.
Deniz Kurt has written for publications including NAVIGA, CEYMS and AKTÜEL, and currently contributes columns to YACHT Türkiye and T24.She currently appears weekly alongside journalist Cüneyt Özdemir on Turkey’s leading digital news platform, discussing gastronomy and food culture.
She currently continues her work between yacht crew consultancy, chef training, gastronomy and media projects.