Roland Heiler new head of Porsche Design Studio in Zell am SeeBundling of design activities – Closure of California studio
Stuttgart/Bietigheim-Bissingen. Roland Heiler (46) has been appointed the new managing director of Porsche Design GmbH, Zell am See, and at the same time, has been made head of the Porsche design studio there. The design studio is part of Porsche Lizenz- und Handelsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG (PLH), Bietigheim-Bissingen, in which Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, and Porsche Design Management GmbH, Salzburg, bundled their high quality luxury goods and accessories activities in autumn 2003.
Since 1984, Roland Heiler has held various positions as a designer at Porsche. In 1997, he moved to Audi AG as its head of exterior. He returned to Porsche in 2000, where he became the head designer in the Porsche styling studio in Huntington Beach, California, before being made its manager two years later. As Porsche AG has gained additional design capacity through the studio in Zell am See, the studio in California will be closed as of 1 April 2005. However, this does not mean that the Company is pulling out of the development and design services market in North America. Porsche Engineering Services Inc. in Troy, Michigan, will still be available as a reliable contact for Porsche customer development in North America.
The design studio in Zell am See was formed and founded by Professor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche in 1974. As its new manager, Roland Heiler will be sticking by the design guidelines established by Professor Porsche, and ensuring a uniform design signature for all products sold under the Porsche Design brand. These include classic gentlemen's accessories such as watches, eyewear, writing instruments, leather goods, golf clubs and smokers' accessories. In future, the current portfolio will be extended to include electronic products, sports equipment and a fashion and fragrance line. In addition to this, the design studio will continue to accept design orders from industrial companies.
Christian Schwamkrug (46) was appointed as the deputy managing director of the design studio in Zell am See, where ha has been responsible for the design of a large number of items since 1987. Furthermore, the renowned Parisian fashion and accessories designer Christophe Blondin (36), who has already worked for brands such as Lanvin, Lagerfeld and Kenzo, will also be joining the team in Zell am See as design director fashion.
Karsten Martens (41), managing director of the French accessories manufacturer Montblanc in North America since 1997, has been appointed as the head of Porsche Design of America, a newly formed subsidiary of PLH based in New York.
GO 2004-07-14
14.07.2004