Meet the 26 speakers at the 2016 Superyacht Design Symposium

For the first time, speakers at the Superyacht Design Symposium will consist of superyacht industry experts and some of the biggest names from the wider design community.

Stephen Bayley, Chairman of the Superyacht Design Symposium

Stephen is an author, critic, columnist, consultant, broadcaster, debater and curator, of whom Tom Wolfe famously said, “I don’t know anybody with more interesting observations about style, taste and contemporary design”.  He also works with designers, architects, consumer goods and manufacturing businesses at the highest level, including Ford, Coca-Cola, BMW and Conran.

His best-selling books and award-winning journalism have, over the past thirty years, changed the way the world thinks about design. With Terence Conran he created the influential Boilerhouse Project in London’s Victoria & Albert Museum, which became the capital’s most successful exhibition space during the Eighties and evolved into the influential Design Museum in 1989.

Stephen was formally educated at Manchester University and Liverpool University School of Architecture and, as well as his books and broadcasting work, he writes for a huge range of publications including The Times, The Daily Telegraph, GQ, The Official Ferrari Magazine and The Financial Times.

With the backing and guidance of Stephen Bayley, the Superyacht Design Symposium will continue to stimulate and inspire debate and will encourage designers from all over the world, from all genres, to share their stories and expertise, sewing the seeds for the superyacht projects of tomorrow.

PLENARY SESSION SPEAKER: Superyacht Owner Panel

Nick Candy is a British real estate entrepreneur and businessman best known for co-founding global luxury interior design firm Candy & Candy and for his role in some of the most high profile real estate projects in recent times.

In 1995, Nick and his brother Christian bought their first property in with the help of a £6,000 loan from their grandmother. They renovated it in their own style and successfully sold it on 18 months later at a substantial profit.

Candy & Candy was then established in 1999 and quickly went on to become one of the world’s leading luxury interior design firms, recognised internationally for designing the most luxurious real estate in the most coveted locations, as well as designing superyachts, jets, luxury cars and a wide range of commercial environments.

The company’s most high profile project – the globally celebrated One Hyde Park residential development in Knightsbridge, London – revolutionised the residential property market worldwide, breaking industry records and setting unparalleled new standards in luxury design and living.

Nick has also diversified his interests outside of Candy & Candy by adding several new companies and investments to his portfolio in real estate, technology, media and telecommunications, healthcare and natural resources.

PLENARY SESSION SPEAKER: Form vs Function

Ilse Crawford is a designer, academic and creative director with a simple mission to put human needs and desires at the centre of all that she does. As founder of Studioilse, together with her multi-disciplinary, London-based team, she brings her philosophy to life. This means creating environments where humans feel comfortable; public spaces that make people feel at home and homes that are habitable and make sense for the people who live in them. It means designing furniture and products that support and enhance human behaviour and actions in everyday life. It means restoring the human balance in brands and businesses that have lost their way. As founder of the department of Man and Wellbeing at the Design Academy Eindhoven, her mission extends to nurturing a new generation of students to always question why and how their work improves the reality of life.

PLENARY SESSION SPEAKER: What is the new luxury?

Axel de Beaufort graduated in design and naval architecture in Southampton University. He set up his own design office (Nacira) in 2002 after having worked with different architects such as VPLP. He was involved in different large yachting projects.

Axel de Beaufort was awarded for his own designs of 60 and 70 feet sailing yachts. He received the Yacht of the year award of the London Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) in 2005 and the Milano Nautical Design Award in 2012.

He joined the Hermès bespoke department in 2012 as consultant for special projects. In 2013, he was appointed design and engineering director for special projects from yachts or private plane interiors to cars and exceptional objects.

PLENARY SESSION SPEAKER: What is the new luxury?

Entrepreneur Lapo is the grandson of the late Gianni Agnelli, the famous chairman of FIAT, Italy’s much loved car company. The Agnelli family built FIAT with an inimitable mixture of industrial innovation, shrewd investment and a passion for art and design. Lapo is an inspiration at both FIAT and Ferrari and his Italia Independent consultancy carries on the family work in fashion. He has founded eight companies the latest of which is Garage Italia Customs, which customizes cars, aircrafts and boats with tailor made Italian flair. He’s a passionate sailor and owns Lap1, the first Baglietto MV13, which unsurprisingly showcases Garage Italia Customs fabulous style. Work is currently underway on Lap2.

PLENARY SESSION SPEAKER: Is beauty a science or an art?

Espen Øino is the principal of Espen Øino International, a leading firm of designers and naval architects based in Monaco, specializing in the design of large, bespoke motoryachts. With over 40 yachts in service and many more currently in build, Espen Øino International is today considered one of the leading design studios in the world. Amongst the more recent deliveries are the new Kismet, the 95 meter Lürssen  Ester III, a 66 meter Lürssen Inifinity, a 89 meter Oceanco and Ocean Victory, a 140 meter Fincantieri.

PLENARY SESSION SPEAKER: Is the client always right?

Pascale Reymond is the Managing Director of Reymond Langton Design, an international award winning interior and exterior design company for Super Yachts located in the UK.

The company was established in 2001 by the talented design duo Pascale Reymond and Andrew Langton. Pascale’s creative background involves a Master’s degree in Art History from La Sorbonne, Paris before moving to London to study Interior Design.

Pascale’s superb attention to detail means that every delivery has unquestionable quality, which undoubtly can been seen in the team’s most recent delivery, Lürssen’s Lady Lara, along with other recent deliveries including the new Kismet, Ester III and Ann G.

PLENARY SESSION SPEAKER: What has a superyacht got in common with a warship? Why should we care?

Anthony Rix retired as a Rear Admiral in the Royal Navy in 2009. In his 34 year career in the RN he commanded 2 major warships and led national and multi-national operations across the globe. He also served in the UK’s Royal Yacht, HMY Britannia.

From 2004 to 2009 he specialised in counter-terrorism and counter-piracy operations in the Mediterranean and Middle East. On leaving the RN he set up and ran a highly successful Maritime Security company based in London with operations in the Indian Ocean, Gulf of Guinea and Far East.

He now works as a Director for MAST, a leading international maritime security company based in the UK. He also advises a number of other companies focused on innovative security solutions for Superyachts and commercial clients.

Anthony welcomes the opportunity to join everyone at Boat International’s Superyacht Design Symposium 2016 and looks forward to what will undoubtedly be a useful meeting.

PLENARY SESSION SPEAKER: Superyacht Owner Panel

Dr. Alexander Rosa-Alscher studied “Business administration of structure” and “Building construction of architecture” in the cities of Regensburg, Munich, Berlin and Budapest.

Dr. Rosa-Alscher is the owner of the Rosa-Alscher Group, which formed in 2006. The Group achieves remarkable architecture under one brand and distributes all the real estate expertise among its independent companies. It enriches the creative processes with experience and quality.

Before placing the order for motor yacht Noga as a 100pz custom built vessel, Dr. Rosa-Alscher was the previous owner of five other super yachts.

PLENARY SESSION SPEAKER: Form vs Function

Stefan Sielaff joined Bentley Motors in July 2015 from his previous role as Design Director at the Volkswagen Design Center, Potsdam.

Stefan first joined the Volkswagen Group in1990 as an interior designer for Audi in Ingolstadt. His career then took him to Barcelona where he became Head of Interior Design at the VW Group Design Center, Europe. Between 1997 and 2003, Stefan returned to Audi where he held the position of Head of Interior Design.

After a brief spell with DaimlerChrysler, where he was Head of the Interior Design Competence Center, Stefan returned to Ingolstadt in 2006 to become Design Director at Audi, a position he held up until 2012. It was here that Stefan led a team of over 350 design experts with responsibility for exterior, interior and colour and trim design for the full Audi range, concept and show cars.

Alongside his current lead role at Bentley, Stefan is also Head of Group Interior Design Strategy, Volkswagen AG.

Stefan, who was born in Munich, achieved a master’s degree in vehicle design at the world renowned Royal College of Art. He studied at the famous London institute with an Audi scholarship.