Grant Dalton, Emirates Team New Zealand CEO
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Italian brand SLAM becomes Official Apparel Supplier to America’s Cup Defender Emirates Team New Zealand

La marca italiana SLAM se convierte en proveedor oficial de indumentaria de America’s Cup Defender Emirates Team New Zealand

La marca italiana de ropa de navegación de alto rendimiento SLAM ha unido fuerzas con el cuatro veces ganador de la America’s Cup, el Emirates Team New Zealand, en la preparación de la 37.ª edición del icónico evento en Barcelona el próximo año.

Grant Dalton, Emirates Team New Zealand CEO

Grant Dalton, Emirates Team New Zealand CEO

SLAM, una marca global que se fundó en Génova en 1979, se sumará a la campaña de Nueva Zelanda como proveedor oficial de indumentaria mientras el equipo prepara su defensa de la America’s Cup en octubre de 2024.

Emirates Team New Zealand defendió con éxito la America’s Cup en Auckland en 2021 después de haber ganado previamente la competencia deportiva internacional más antigua del mundo en 1995, 2000 y luego nuevamente en 2017.

SLAM cambió de manos en 2021, fue comprada por VAM Investment Group y se embarcó en un nuevo viaje de alto perfil con el regatista campeón del mundo Enrico Chieffi a la cabeza como director ejecutivo y un fuerte enfoque en ropa de navegación de clase mundial técnicamente innovadora y de alto rendimiento.

El Emirates Team New Zealand defenderá la America’s Cup contra los ganadores de la Challenger Series, que será disputada por cinco equipos ultracompetitivos: el INEOS Britannia del Reino Unido dirigido por el multicampeón olímpico Sir Ben Ainslie; los dos veces ganadores de la Copa de Suiza Alinghi Red Bull Racing; el equipo italiano Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli dirigido por Max Sirena como director y patrón del equipo; American Magic dirigido por Terry Hutchinson con los ganadores de la medalla de oro olímpica Tom Slingsby y Paul Goodison; y el K-Challenge francés liderado por Stephan Kandler.

Enrico Chieffi, director ejecutivo de SLAM
El CEO de Emirates Team New Zealand, Grant Dalton, dijo: “SLAM ha demostrado su estrategia clara y positiva al trabajar para convertirse en una de las mejores marcas de ropa de navegación de alto rendimiento del mundo y todos nosotros en Emirates Team New Zealand esperamos trabajar junto a ellos en eso”. misión.

“Somos un equipo de más de 100 personas en una amplia gama de roles vitales, desde ingeniería hasta construcción de barcos y navegación, que deben trabajar juntos para ganar la Copa América. Esta filosofía se extiende a todos nuestros socios y SLAM y su compromiso con su indumentaria de calidad”.

El acuerdo hará que SLAM suministre ropa técnica al Emirates Team New Zealand luego de una colaboración en el desarrollo de materiales y diseño de productos. Se comercializará a nivel mundial una versión réplica de la indumentaria que viste el equipo con las mismas características técnicas.

Enrico Chieffi dijo: “Es un verdadero honor firmar este acuerdo y unirme a la campaña del Emirates Team New Zealand. Haremos todo lo posible para contribuir a su defensa de la America’s Cup. Grant Dalton y yo nos conocemos desde hace muchos años. Siempre ha existido una sintonía y un profundo respeto entre nosotros, incluso cuando a menudo fuimos protagonistas en los eventos más importantes de la vela mundial, primero como atletas y luego como gerentes.

“SLAM ha desempeñado un papel central en el mundo de la navegación durante más de 40 años y nuestro objetivo es establecer su lugar entre las mejores marcas de navegación de alto rendimiento del mundo. Esta asociación es un paso importante en ese camino”. The Emirates Team New Zealand la ropa técnica es el resultado de una estrecha colaboración en el desarrollo de materiales y diseño de productos”, agregó Chieffi, quien fue campeón mundial en las clases 470 y Star, doble regatista olímpico y táctico en el retador de la Copa América de Italia Il Moro di Venezia. en 1992.

Acerca de Slam
Slam S.p.A. es una reconocida marca italiana de ropa de navegación de alto rendimiento fundada en Génova en 1979. La empresa es propiedad de VAM Investment Group desde 2021, y Enrico Chieffi, campeón mundial, atleta olímpico, táctico de la Copa América y exitoso hombre de negocios, es el director ejecutivo. Con el apoyo clave del nuevo socio financiero y estratégico de la empresa, Chieffi se encarga de llevar adelante la misión de gestionar la nueva fase de desarrollo de SLAM, con el objetivo de desbloquear todo el potencial de la marca y establecer a SLAM entre las mejores marcas de navegación de alto rendimiento del mundo.

Acerca de VAM Investment Group spa
VAM es una sociedad de cartera de capital privado dirigida por el consejero delegado y accionista Marco Piana, controlada por el presidente Francesco Trapani y participada por Tages, una sociedad internacional de gestión de activos activa en fondos alternativos, infraestructura y, a través de sus accionistas, deuda en dificultades/NPL, con Umberto Quadrino como presidente y Panfilo Tarantelli como director general. VAM realiza inversiones de capital privado junto con empresarios y gerentes, proporcionando una combinación exclusiva en el mercado de conjuntos de habilidades comerciales, administrativas y financieras. A los socios de VAM se une un grupo cercano de oficinas familiares italianas e internacionales de alto perfil que conforman el VAM Investments Club. Recientemente, VAM ha llevado a cabo operaciones de inversión clave, incluida la del Grupo Florence, nombre líder en la cadena de suministro textil de Italia, y la cotización de un SPAC valorado en 210 millones en la bolsa de valores de Ámsterdam.

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BENTLEY MOTORS APPOINTS NEW MULLINER AND MOTORSPORT DIRECTOR IN BESPOKE DIVISION REORGANISATION

BENTLEY MOTORS APPOINTS NEW MULLINER AND MOTORSPORT DIRECTOR IN BESPOKE DIVISION REORGANISATION

  • Ansar Ali joins Bentley as Mulliner and Motorsport Director from McLaren Special Operations
  • Paul Williams becomes Mulliner Chief Technical Officer with Bob Martin appointed Chief Operating Officer
  • Reorganisation follows record levels of demand for bespoke services, increasing fivefold in the past five years 

(Crewe, 13 January 2023) Bentley Motors today announced the appointment of Ansar Ali as the new Mulliner and Motorsport Director, reporting directly to Adrian Hallmark, Chairman and CEO. Ali will lead the reorganised Mulliner division as customer personalisation reaches record levels of demand.

Ali, who has a 30 year career in the automotive industry, joins from McLaren Special Operations where he was Managing Director. Before this, Ali held senior management roles at Ford, Lotus, Caterham and co-founded Zenos Cars.

Ali’s dual responsibilities at Bentley cover Motorsport activities, working closely with the GT3 race teams currently competing, and a focus on Bentley’s personal commissioning division, Mulliner, the oldest coachbuilder in the world and now with three distinct classifications; Classics, Collections and Coachbuilt.  Commenting on Ali’s appointment, Adrian Hallmark said:

“Mulliner represents the very pinnacle of automotive design and expertise and Ansar joins at a time when we are experiencing record levels of demand across our features, collections, coachbuilt and classics possibilities. Ansar’s considerable industry experience, particularly leading low-volume, highly bespoke customer-led divisions will offer valuable insights that will reinforce Mulliner as the leading personal commissioning division and generate significant contributions to the wider Bentley business.”

Ali will lead a reorganised Mulliner bespoke division in which Paul Williams becomes Chief Technical Officer, having held a number of senior positions in a 15 year career at Bentley, and Bob Martin, formerly Head of Final Assembly at Bentley, becomes Chief Operating Officer. All positions are effective immediately.

Mulliner has been building bespoke bodies and cabins since 1923 and today handcrafts exquisite, personalised cars that epitomise luxury, performance, exclusivity and individuality. Mulliner’s portfolio includes coachbuilt cars such as the Batur, heritage limited editions including the Blower, and a wide variety of stunning and unique customer projects.

The high level of customer demand for bespoke services, reaching record numbers in 2022, helped push Bentley to its third consecutive record sales year, announcing earlier this week a sales success of 15,174 in 2022, a four per cent increase on 2021.

Bentley Motors
Bentley Motors is the most sought after luxury car brand in the world. The company’s headquarters in Crewe is home to all of its operations including design, R&D, engineering and production of the company’s five model lines, Continental GT, Continental GT Convertible, Flying Spur, Bentayga and Bentayga EWB. The combination of fine craftsmanship, using skills that have been handed down through generations, alongside engineering expertise and cutting-edge technology is unique to UK luxury car brands such as Bentley. It is also an example of high-value British manufacturing at its best. Bentley employs around 4,000 people at Crewe.

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Interview with Cecilie Manz
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Interview with Cecilie Manz

Interview with Cecilie Manz

Sheer coziness for that feel-good factor in the bathroom

Since the introduction of the Luv series, Nordic style has become a firm fixture in the bathroom. Danish designer Cecilie Manz’s minimalist design language invokes the Scandinavian concept of living for a brand-new sense of wellbeing. Carefully conceived materials that also appeal to the sense of touch emphasise the gentle forms and strict geometry. Perfectly harmonized color combinations round off the overall picture.

What emotion do you associate with the bathroom range Luv that you designed for Duravit?

For me, Luv is about sheer coziness for the perfect feel-good factor – natural, uncomplicated, and unobtrusive.

What’s most important to you in a bathroom?

The bathroom is one of the most intimate rooms and what matters to me are qualities like “clean, “functional”, and “comfortable”.  Everything should be hygienic and low-maintenance, it should work well and at the same time I want the materials, colors, and the overall ambience to exude a sense of wellbeing. In the bathroom I enjoy my “every day spa moment”.

The colors and surfaces that you’ve selected for the bathroom series Luv radiate natural warmth while simultaneously managing to appear contemporary. Where do you get your inspiration?

In the bathroom you often find cool and clear colors. Because Luv has a very pure design, it was important for me to create a cozy and welcoming component using subtle, natural tones. I often find inspiration for colors in nature – I always have a couple of pebbles in my bag.

What were the biggest challenges for you in designing furnishings for the bathroom?

I’m not sure if it makes such a big difference whether you’re designing a piece of furniture for the bathroom, the living room, or the kitchen. The design process involves the same approach and we go through the same mechanisms. At the same time, you have a greater responsibility to a certain extent: for me it feels as though each individual object that I design in the bathroom is tailor-made for the specific person buying it. That might be because each object in this room is so important. For instance, you might have various chairs in your home and can choose which one to use at any given time. You arrange your home how you want and are constantly moving things around. That’s not so easy in the bathroom. That’s why I also think that people’s decisions are a lot more conscious when selecting bathroom furniture.

Do you believe that people’s wishes in terms of bathroom furniture are changing?

It seems that bathrooms are constantly getting bigger. On the other side there is also a need for tiny, highly efficient bathrooms. In any case we expect the level of comfort enjoyed in the rest of the home to be part of bathroom, too: more warm colors, natural materials, coziness alongside inventive solutions for keeping it clean and using less water.

Duravit AG
Founded in 1817 in Hornberg in the Black Forest, Duravit AG is today a leading international manufacturer of designer bathrooms. The company is active in more than 130 countries worldwide and stands for innovation in the fields of signature design, comfort-enhancing technology and premium quality. In cooperation with an international network of high-profile designers

such as Philippe Starck, sieger design, Christian Werner, Cecilie Manz and young talents such as Bertrand Lejoly and Kurt Merki Jr., the company develops unique bathrooms that enhance quality of life for users on a sustained basis. Duravit’s product portfolio comprises sanitary ceramics, bathroom furniture, bathtubs and shower trays, wellness systems, shower-toilets, tap fittings and accessories as well as installation systems.

         

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Vivian-Stauffer_Hamilton-CEO---
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VIVIAN STAUFFER CEO – HAMILTON INTERNATIONAL LTD.

VIVIAN STAUFFER
CEO HAMILTON INTERNATIONAL LTD.

Vivian Stauffer is the CEO of Hamilton, an iconic name in precision watchmaking since it was founded in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1892. Its watches earned their reputation by synchronizing the first railroads and went on to furnish the wrists of soldiers, aviators and Hollywood stars, making over 500 appearances on the big screen. Hamilton has been at the forefront of innovations in design, technology and craft, launching the world’s first electric timepiece in 1957 and first LED digital watch in 1970. A member of the Swatch Group, the global leader in watch manufacturing and distribution, Hamilton combines its American spirit with true Swiss precision.

A Swiss national, Vivian Stauffer obtained his master’s degree in Chemical Engineering at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale of Lausanne. An outdoor enthusiast, he is an experienced pilot and also enjoys free skiing, mountain biking and hiking. He began his career at Swatch, a brand of the Swatch Group, in 2002, where he spent five years as a member of their sport and sales team.

In 2007, he joined Hamilton as Regional & Travel Retail Sales Manager and acted as Brand Manager of Switzerland between 2010 and 2013. Also appointed as Head of Sales in 2011, he developed and implemented the international sales and distribution strategy for 24 subsidiaries and 40 distributors around the world. He opened the first Hamilton boutiques in Japan and Switzerland and spearheaded Hamilton’s growth in China as interim brand manager for a year and a half.

Hamilton CEO since 2020, he oversees the brand’s global strategy and development in over 75 countries.

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BREGUET ANNOUNCES THE APPOINTMENT OF ITS NEW CEO

BREGUET ANNOUNCES THE APPOINTMENT OF ITS NEW CEO

Breguet and its President Marc A. Hayek are delighted to announce the appointment of Lionel a Marca as its CEO.
Lionel a Marca joined the Swatch Group almost 30 years ago and has been working at the Maison since 2019. His commitment and impressive skills across all areas of watchmaking saw him appointed to the Executive Boards of Blancpain in 2004 and Harry Winston in 2014.
In 2019, he also joined the Extended Executive Board of the Swatch Group.
Now, Mr a Marca is placing all of his fine horology passion and experience at the service of Breguet. He will be taking over the operational management under the presidency of Marc A. Hayek, with whom he has worked closely for over 20 years. As Marc A. Hayek noted, “The appointment of Lionel a Marca, a watchmaker in the purest sense of the word at a Maison of Breguet’s prestige, marks a new chapter in its history. I know that he will put all of his energy into continuing the work started by my grandfather since the takeover in 1999, while also keeping the pioneering spirit of its founder alive.”
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Anne-Charlotte Bellanger | Managing Director France, United Kingdom & Iberia
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Anne-Charlotte Bellanger – PIAGET | Managing Director France, United Kingdom & Iberia

ANNE-CHARLOTTE BELLANGER | MANAGING DIRECTOR FRANCE, UNITED KINGDOM & IBERIA

Anne-Charlotte Bellanger | Managing Director France, United Kingdom & Iberia

Our History started in 1874 in La Côte-aux-Fées, where Gerorge-Edouard Piaget  devoted himself to crafting High-precision and ultra-thin movements. These movements would later become the Maison´s trademark. During all of these years, Piaget have broken their own records, doing extraordinary watches. Recently, Our Piaget Ultimate Concept watch – the thinnest mechanical watch on the market-  has won the prestigious “Aiguille d’Or” at the 20th Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG). This prize rewards the best overall watch among all categories (Best in Show). It is a honor for our Maison.

Anne-Charlotte Bellanger | Managing Director France, United Kingdom & Iberia

Anne-Charlotte Bellanger | Managing Director France, United Kingdom & Iberia

Anne-Charlotte Bellanger | Managing Director France, United Kingdom & Iberia

Piaget strongly believe in creativity and artistic values. Our Jewellery and watches creations are proof of that. Each collection reflects the Piaget art of vivre and our “Sunny Side of Light” spirit.. a real celebration!:  Possession collection is an invitation to celebrate Luck, happiness, success and love, Limelight Gala is an ode to the extraordinary woman. Piaget Polo invites us to celebrate life´s boldness and Piaget Altiplano to celebrate perfection.

Inside this universe of extraordinary celebration, we can make a special mention to our last High Jewellery collection: Wings of Light.  It is a journey to a fantasy land of magic, mystery, romance and rarity. These creations , dreamed  within the walls of our “Ateliers de l’Extraordinaire”, answer a call of nature and invite us to journey with them  to a glittering world of excellence with a signature style that transcends time.

As you can see, Piaget is celebrating the extraordinary all the time.  

Piaget is a centric client brand. Our aim is to bring clients the best service and an unique experience.  “Always do better than necessary” has been, is and will be our motto.  Either in our boutiques or throughout digital platforms (like our e-commerce or Net- a- Porter website) we offer our clients the tailor-made experience which they are looking for. We convert our clients into our brand ambassadors and part of the Piaget Family. We invite you to be part of our Piaget Society!

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Princess Yachts CEO Antony Sheriff on a new generation of yachting
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Princess Yachts CEO Antony Sheriff on a new generation of yachting excellence

Characterised by beautifully sculpted surfaces and long flowing lines, the X95 defines a striking design language for this new Class. Both her flybridge and main deck cover almost the full length of the yacht, delivering expansive spaces with flexibility that enables you to define each journey around your guests’ preferences. With a fuel capacity of 13,400 litres, the X95 has the range for far-reaching, adventurous voyages.

Princess Yachts CEO Antony Sheriff on a new generation of yachting excellence

Experience space akin to a megayacht as you enter her main deck saloon and witness a line of sight right through to the forward window. Ascend the internal staircase to the upper deck and another unique experience awaits: a fully enclosed and climate controlled Sky Lounge. Taking pride of place on her lower deck is the full beam Master Stateroom with en suite, complemented by her Forward Stateroom with walk-in wardrobe and en suite bathroom. Additional port and starboard guest cabins can each be configured with two single beds or one double bed, whilst generous crew quarters complete her extensive accommodation.

Princess Yachts CEO Antony Sheriff on a new generation of yachting

Princess Yachts CEO Antony Sheriff on a new generation of yachting

The Princess Yachts’ X95 flybridge

Antony Sheriff has transformed the fortunes of Bernard Arnault’s yachtmaker Princess, creating boats that are stylish, in demand and environmentally innovative, for a new generation of consumer.

Antony Sheriff

“It’s the sports car of the range. The hull reduces drag by 30 per cent, and it has sports-car-like performance and a Pininfarina design.” Princess Yachts CEO Antony Sheriff is enthusing over a projection of the R35, his company’s cool-looking 35-foot yacht, the latest in a series of innovations he has overseen in what is fast becoming known as the most dynamic yachtmaker in the world.

“Sometimes,” he says, “if you are doing something new and are innovating, customers don’t know what they want until you give it to them.” Sheriff has been responsible for a number of innovations at the company, which is owned by LVMH-owner Bernard Arnault through his private equity company L Catterton, both on the product side and on partnerships.

The stateroom (above) and exterior of X95 yacht

In 2016 he launched a collaboration with the Marine Conservation Society, aimed at helping clean up ocean plastics, conserve coral and aid the conservation of marine creatures such as turtles. The Italian-American, who in his previous job launched McLaren’s hybrid P1 hypercar as CEO of the company’s road-car division, is disarmingly straight talking. “We are an industry which makes beautiful products, but we haven’t always been that mindful of the effects they have. We wanted to do something quietly to reduce the impact of yachts on the sea.”

He says the impetus has not – yet – come from the market, but from his own initiative. “We are trying to do the right thing and would rather be on the front foot than the back foot. People enjoy yachting because of the beautiful environment, and we need to try and maintain the water in the state we found it in.”

Sheriff says that, as with cars, the need to innovate for environmental reasons has actually ended up bringing better products to market. He points to the example of the X95, which has up to 40 per cent more space than its predecessor while using 30 per cent less fuel and matching it in performance; and the Y95, another super-slick collaboration with Italian design house Pininfarina, which seems to have taken up its unparalleled design of luxury modes of transport where it left off with Ferrari after the end of a collaboration there spanning decades.

Sheriff is a little scathing about some of the bloated products on offer from other yachtmakers, and adds: “We are putting the elegance and refinement back in yacht design, creating yachts that look like they belong on the ocean.”

Ultimately, though, he says the biggest change during his tenure since 2016 has been the change in the nature of the consumer. “Increasingly people are buying yachts not as status symbols but as places to spend a wonderful time with family and friends. You go on a family vacation in a yacht and it’s the best vacation possible: the kids stay together with you for fantastic family time, they can’t run away to the nightclub, and you get to spend time with each other in private in a beautiful place.” And, if some of the latest Pininfarina designs continue in the same vein, on a beautiful place, too.

more info: princessyachts.com

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