Meet the 26 speakers at the 2016 Superyacht Design Symposium

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

Theo Fennell went to Eton in the 1960s, and surprised his teachers by becoming the first pupil there in living memory to go to art college. He first studied at the York School of Art and then at Byam Shaw (now part of UAL), and began in portraiture. He soon realised he would starve if he continued down this path, and by pure fate was then offered a job at the great silversmiths Edward Barnard’s where he discovered an aptitude for silver and jewellery design as well as a huge respect for craftsmanship.

As well as his one offs and masterworks, Fennell also designs jewellery which is inherently wearable and of course, impeccably crafted. He has numerous famous fans including Lady Gaga, Cara Delevingne, David Beckham and Sir Elton John, of whose AIDS Foundation he is also a committee member. He has a number of accolades under his belt including winning the ‘Oscars of luxury’, the Best Luxury Craftsmanship Award at the Walpole Awards for Excellence. In 2007 he curated Show Off, an exhibition of his works at the Royal Academy, and has exhibited at the esteemed art, antiques and jewellery fair Masterpiece London, for the past 3 years. He also whole-heartedly supports the work of young jewellery and silver students – The Royal College of Art Theo Fennell Awards for Jewellery and Silver are in their 10th year this year, and he also works in conjunction with Central St Martins and Goldsmiths.

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

Trained at the Central School of Art and Design,  Martin Francis worked as a cabinet maker before in 1967 starting working with Architect  Norman Foster on a wide range of projects including the glass wall of the Willis Faber and Dumas building in Ipswich. He was for many years a director of Foster associates in London and the managing director of Foster France, working on Stansted airport, the Tecno range of furniture and the Carre d’Art in Nimes.

In 1982 he joined Peter Rice in the creation of RFR, a Paris based engineering company where among other things he was responsible for assisting IM Pei in the design of the cable structure of the Louvre Pyramid using yacht rigging technology.

40 years ago he started his career as a yacht designer with a number of large sail boats. His first motor yacht was the iconic ECO (now called  Enigma) is now 25 years old and still does 35 knots. This was followed by a number of innovative vessels like Senses,  Golden Shadow, Sultan and the 118 meter Yacht ‘ A’ for which he was the Technical and Naval designer, a joint project with Phillippe Starck. He also was engaged by RCCL Celebrity Cruises to design the exterior of the Solstice class – a series of five 120,000 GRT Cruise Ships.

He was recently retained by Vitsoe to head the design tem of their new 2000m2 headquarters and production facility to be built in Leamington Spa UK.

His largest project to date was the new Lürssen built 124 meter  Golden Odyssey delivered October 2015.

An Italian architect with a degree in Construction Science from the University of Florence, Cristina Gherardi Benardeau, founder of Paris-based CG Design, has solid experience in the luxury world.

She began her career by conceiving all the Virgin Megastores and Kenzo stores in France, and several departmental stores for the Brunswig family in Switzerland. In1994 she joined LVMH as Director of Architecture for Christian Dior Couture developing luxury retail projects worldwide. Those years featured close collaboration with Jacques Grange and Peter Marino for a new architectural concept and the opening of flagship stores in Paris, New York, Geneva, Los Angeles and Tokyo.

Next she created the first Giorgio Armani Interior Design Studio in New York, working closely with Mr. Armani designing private homes and residential real estate projects worldwide. At Armani Casa, she designed her first yacht, Odessa, a 53-meter Christensen that won the 2010 ShowBoats Design Award for Best Interior Design. The following year, she founded CG Design in part to respond to the request to design a second yacht for Odessa’s owner. Savannah, his 83.5 meter yacht Feadship, is a finalist for this year’s Design Awards. Meanwhile, residential projects for private clients as well as real estate development for Fendi continues in Dubai, Riyadh and Moscow.

She credits the luxury world and working in a varied cultural universe for her sophisticated design yet insists her firm’s primary aim is to conserve a very strong architectural approach.

“Our aesthetic is contemporary, however, each project is the result of thematic research based on the client’s expectations and taste, the site, and the cultural environment, bringing together the French art of living, Italian design and American functionality,” she says.

PLENARY SESSION SPEAKER: What is the new luxury?

Nicky Haslam is one of London’s best-known and best-loved interior designers, a charmed and charming agent of style and a taste-maker for the rich. His appeal is global and NH Design interiors are sprinkled around the globe from Mayfair to Moscow to Morocco. He’s a social magician who has created the décor for some of the most iconic parties of our age from the Opera Ball in Hong Kong to the Cartier Polo Gala lunch. Its no wonder HRH the Prince of Wales and Sir Evelyn and Lady Rothschild have enlisted his services for their events. Nicky is also a waspish diarist, a talented memoirist and has, latterly, managed the successful transition to cabaret artiste. He is one of the funniest social observers and was a friend of Elvis, Svetlana Stalin and Liberace.

PLENARY SESSION SPEAKER: Is the client always right?

With experience in the yacht design industry stretching back over 40 years, Tim Heywood has had the opportunities to produce some very well known designs. Pelorus may be his most important ‘iconic’ project, but recent work, such as Topaz, Event and Quantum Blue have shown that his highly original lines, curves and sculptural forms, are still very much in demand.

Tim Heywood Design moved out of London five years ago and set up their design studio in Rutland, in the middle of England, from where he, and partner Vanessa, dispatch designs to their current projects in Germany, Holland and the south of the UK.

Now using traditional drawing skills, together with computer technology, the end results of his work can be seen in the larger yacht marinas of the world.

James O'Callaghan is a structural engineer with more than 20 years of experience. Widely acknowledged as an authority on structural glass, he is perhaps best known for his highly innovative designs for glass stairs, bridges and other structural elements in Apple’s iconic retail stores around the world.

He co-founded engineering design firm Eckersley O'Callaghan with Brian Eckersley in 2004. The practice is based in London, with offices in New York, San Francisco, Paris and Shanghai.

His contribution to the Feadship Venus was instrumental in demonstrating and justifying that glazing of such a scale could be used in the marine environment. This landmark success has paved the way for his dedicated team of glass engineers to further support the industry in realising large-format glazing and striking glass features such as canopies, stairs or swimming pools in superyachts. The team provides technical design, detailing, and procurement expertise to deliver cutting-edge glass structures meeting classification regulations. O’Callaghan believes that collaboration and engagement are key to continuously redefine what is achievable in this ambitious market.

PLENARY SESSION SPEAKER: Superyacht Owner Panel

Owner and captain of 41m Superyacht Komokwa, Brian O’Sullivan is a self-proclaimed ‘meat and potatoes boater’ who states; ‘luxury for the sake of luxury’s sake has never interested me, unless it serves a higher purpose.’

Currently the President of the Mexico Power Group, Brian is an entrepreneur with an active career in sustainable wind energy and most recently solar energy. He has served on the Board of Directors of the American Wind Energy Associations and is founder of the California Wind Energy Association.

In October 2013 Brian departed from Vancouver, Canada for an extended round the world cruise, stopping in at the Montenegro Rendezvous on the back of his tour of the Balearic Islands.

PLENARY SESSION SPEAKER: Form vs Function

Paul Priestman is a designer and Director of PriestmanGoode, the leading travel and transport design consultancy whose work ranges from aircraft interiors to hotels, high speed trains, private jets, commercial spacecraft and cruise ships.

Paul is known for creating luxurious passenger experiences in small spaces and has designed many award winning airline interiors, including First Class cabins for Qatar Airways, Malaysia Airlines, Air France, Swiss International Airlines and TAM Airlines among many others, as well as the new high speed trains in China.

Based in London and China, PriestmanGoode employs an international staff of over fifty people – from designers to visualisers and textile specialists – who excel at creative problem solving and continuously push the boundaries of travel and transport design.

Paul believes that design is not just about styling, but about making things better, both for passengers, as well as to manufacture, run and maintain. A well-known figure in the global design industry, he is regular speaker on the subject of design and its value to business. He is currently a trustee of the Design Council and earlier this year was voted one of London’s most influential people for the third consecutive year.

PLENARY SESSION SPEAKER: Form vs Function

Andrew Winch has been in the specialist yacht design environment for over thirty years. Having grown up sailing on the south coast of England in dinghies and cruising yachts, his love of the sea embodies all of his work. Formal training at St Martins’ School of Art, London and Kingston College of Art laid the foundations for his career. This was followed by a year sailing as a crew member across the Atlantic and in the Caribbean on a private 52 foot sailing yacht.

On his return he joined Jon Bannenberg Ltd as an apprentice designer. Here he learned his trade and went on to collaborate with Bannenberg on four major sailing yachts; Shirley B (80ft), Acharne (112ft Huisman), Garuda (102ft Nautor custom) and Starlight (94ft).

In 1986, Andrew launched “Winch Design” with his wife Jane. Since its foundation, the studio has delivered 75 super yachts including both sailing and motor yacht projects – and has won over 30 prestigious awards from the leading awards bodies. With dedicated Exterior and Interior Yacht design departments and a highly experienced decorating team, AWD offers its clients a fully turnkey design package. The studio’s 2013 deliveries include  Madame Gu (99m Feadship), Sea Owl (62m Feadship) and Inoui (33m Vitters).

Andrew places great importance on nurturing and developing the AWD team. Based in a converted fire station on the banks of the Thames in London, the AWD team of 70 people (who hail from all over the world) is today recognised as one of the leading International Design Studios.

PLENARY SESSION SPEAKER: What is the new luxury?

Richard Woolley is the Studio Director for Design Research and Special Vehicle Operations, working under the direction of Gerry McGovern Jaguar Land Rover board member and Land Rover’s Chief Creative Officer.

Richard started his career in the UK, completing studies at Swansea University College of Art and Design before taking on his first design role at Airbus Industrie in Hamburg, Germany.

His career at Land Rover began in 1985, when he worked for the Rover Group on numerous passenger vehicle programmes including Rover, MG, MINI, and Land Rover vehicles. During this period he also worked in Tokyo, Japan and Munich, Germany.

After a period working in Detroit for Ford Design North America, Richard returned to the UK to take up the role of Studio Director within Land Rover. His significant design achievements upon his return included the 2003 Range Stormer concept, 2004 Range Rover Sport, 2007 Freelander, and 2009 Range Rover. Under Gerry McGovern’s overall leadership, he also directed the design team working on the all-new 2012 Range Rover.

Richard leads a team of creative designers who are developing future technologies and looking at other product opportunities for Land Rover. This includes design responsibility for the Special Vehicle Operations business within Land Rover, which develops high-end luxury bespoke and extreme performance vehicles, including the Range Rover SVAutobiography and the Range Rover Sport SVR.

In his spare time, Richard enjoys all aspects of design, travel and music. He has a great interest in rugby & football with a particular passion for his national side Wales. He is married with one daughter and lives in Warwickshire.