Leaders & Philanthropists
Our regular series interviewing top figures changing the game in luxury, culture and sustainability, including owners, CEOs, philanthropists, foundations and fund principals.
Abu Dhabi’s Huda Alkhamis-Kanoo on the burgeoning cultural scene in the Emirate
Huda Alkhamis-Kanoo is the founder and Artistic Director of the Abu Dhabi Festival, and founder of the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation (ADMAF). An Emirati with a Saudi father and a Syrian mother, she was born in Beirut, educated in Paris and raised her family in...
Ronnie Kessel’s insider guide to St Moritz
Glamour, priceless cars, super-luxe watches and collectors of all types mix it at The ICE, now the most desirable event in the St Moritz calendar. Co-founder Ronnie Kessel gives Fabienne Amez-Droz his insider tips LUX: How is The ICE St Moritz different? Follow LUX on...
Coralie de Fontenay on women luxury entrepreneurs
Coralie de Fontenay is a co-founder of LuxImpact, which invests in and manages eco-conscious luxury brands, and she was previously at Richemont, owner of Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels and A Lange & Söhne. Here she highlights five new-wave brands she loves:...
Meet the next generation philanthropists
Latest figures indicate there are more than 16 million high-net-worth individuals in the world, which means a lot of potential to contribute to positive change. LUX asks three of the globe’s most established social and environmental philanthropists to identify...
How art is remediating environmental and societal damage from overdevelopment
The owners of Benesse Art Site Naoshima, Soichiro and Hideaki Fukutake, are revitalizing the Seto Inland Sea islands, Japan’s first National Park. Father and son speak with LUX Leaders & Philanthropists Editor, Samantha Welsh, about conservation, community and the...
Stephan Winkelmann on Lamborghini
Under CEO Stephan Winkelmann, Lamborghini has transformed from a sports-car brand with its glory days behind it to an outrageous dream for kids and adults around the world. He tells LUX how he implemented his vision – and what lies ahead as the company’s famously...
Luxury investor Arnaud de Lummen on his top brands to watch
Arnaud de Lummen is the founder and Managing Director of Luvanis, a leader in reviving dormant heritage brands, and a Partner at TLF Ventures, which invests in visionary entrepreneurs shaping the future of luxury tech. He speaks to LUX about the brand revivals, new...
Online dialogue: Tim Marlow meets Durjoy Rahman
The Director of London’s Design Museum, Tim Marlow is a celebrated figure in both design and art and an often outspoken authority on both. Samantha Welsh brings Marlow together with South Asian art flag bearer and philanthropist Durjoy Rahman, whose commercial...
Markus Müller and Jean-Baptiste Jouffray on resilience and complacency in the green and blue economy
Markus Mueller, global head of ESG in the chief investment office at Deutsche Bank, has clear views on the transformation required to create a sustainable economic system. Meanwhile Jean-Baptiste Jouffray, of Stanford University and previously the Stockholm Resilience...
Javad Marandi on investing and philanthropy
Javad Marandi is an international entrepreneur and philanthropist with investments in the UK and continental Europe. Here Marandi describes his work in Switzerland and how the nation retains investment appeal, and outlines his foundation’s philanthropic work in...
YCAB’S Veronica Colondam on bringing hope and change to Indonesia’s youth through social entrepreneurship
Veronica Colondam was the youngest ever recipient of the UN-Vienna Civil Society Award, a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, and received accolades throughout her career including Globe Asia’s Most Powerful Women in Indonesia, Forbes’ one of 10 most inspiring...
Zahida Fizza Kabir on why philanthropy needs programmes to achieve systemic change
From a garage school start-up with 12 children educated for free with two meals a day, fast forward 30 years and SAJIDA’s annual budget is close to US$13 million with a microfinance portfolio of approximately US$300 million and seven independent portfolio companies. ...
Neera Nundy on trust-based philanthropy and how partnering can innovate to deliver systemic change
Dasra, or ‘enlightened giving’ in Sanskrit, was co-founded in 1999 by Neera Nundy and her husband Deval Sanghavi as a venture philanthropy fund in India to invest in early stage non-profit organisations working in SDG areas of gender equality, urban resilience and...
Leading MACAN, Indonesia’s first contemporary art museum
Fenessa Adikoesoemo and Venus Lau are at the helm of MACAN, Indonesia’s premier contemporary art institution, founded by Fenessa’s father art collector, Haryanto Adikoesoemo. They speak with LUX Leaders & Philanthropists Editor Samantha Welsh, about their mission...
Terre Blanche: The luxury resort pioneering sustainability
In the heart of the countryside of Provence lies Terre Blanche, a luxury resort with two renowned golf courses and an oasis for growth biodiversity. Now celebrating its 20th anniversary, Darius Sanai speaks with the Vice-President of Supervisory Board, François...
Iwan Kurniawan Lukminto on art for all in Indonesia
Iwan Kurniawan Lukminto is VP of Sri-Tex, one of Indonesia’s original and fastest-growing textile manufacturers, which supplies product to garment factories across the world, manufactures uniforms for 33 nations’ armed forces, workwear for global...
Hansjörg Wyss on his pioneering work in conservation
Philanthropist Hansjörg Wyss and the Wyss Foundation are committed to accelerating the pace and scale of conservation, supporting innovative academic research, and finding long-term solutions to climate change and biodiversity loss. Since its establishment in 1998,...
Alan Lau and Durjoy Rahman on the importance of art philanthropy
Alan Lau is Vice Chairman of M+ Museum, the era-defining new institution in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon district. Here he speaks with philanthropist and collector Durjoy Rahman about why private individuals need to support artists and art activations, and how Asia is...
Arnaud Champenois on preserving heritage and transforming experiences
Arnaud Champenois is Senior Vice President, Global Brand, Marketing and Communications at Belmond (LVMH). LUX Leaders & Philanthropists Editor, Samantha Welsh speaks with Arnaud Champenois about hospitality, sustainability, and how 2024 is set to be a...
illy CEO Cristina Scocchia on responsible leadership
Cristina Scocchia has led illycaffè, the Italian premium coffee company, through two years of record growth. She speaks with LUX Leaders & Philanthropists Editor Samantha Welsh about strong leadership, ethical behaviours and custodianship of a quintessentially...
Alain Servais and Durjoy Rahman on Art and Responsible collecting
Alain Servais is an investment banker and collector of art-as-ideas, whose family collection is showcased in The Loft, a repurposed factory in central Brussels. In a conversation moderated by LUX’s Leaders & Philanthropists editor, Samantha Welsh, Servais speaks...
Petr Pudil on entrepreneurship and supporting contemporary Czech artists
A decade ago, an entrepreneur bought a decommissioned power station located in a prime position opposite Prague Castle. Investing some $40M together with his Family Foundation he regenerated this brownfield site and in 2015 relaunched it as the landmark Kunsthalle...
An Interview with Mouton-Rothschild’s Julien de Beaumarchais
Picasso, Miro, Dali, Richter, Braque: supreme Bordeaux Chateau Mouton-Rothschild has had them all, and many more, create its wine label over the decades. Candice Tucker speaks to Julien de Beaumarchais, from the owning family of the esteemed first growth, about the...
Manolo Blahnik on craftsmanship, colour and staying ahead of the curve
Fashion designer Manolo Blahnik is something of a legend within the shoe industry. His career truly kicked off in 1969 after meeting US Vogue Editor in Chief, Diana Vreeland; after that, he devoted himself to designing shoes, opening the first Manolo Blahnik store in...
Cyrill Gutsch on saving the oceans through art and collaboration
Cyrill Gutsch is the founder and driving force behind Parley for the Oceans, an organisation dedicated to protecting the oceans through underutilised avenues such as art, design, fashion and collaboration. He speaks to Trudy Ross about the material revolution, the...
Ted Janulis of Investable Oceans on his hopes for COP28
Amid much scepticism about whether the global climate summit COP28, taking place in Dubai over the next few weeks, will actually bear any positive results, there are rays of hope. Ted Janulis, investor, entrepreneur and founder of Investable Oceans, outlines the...
Adrian Bridge on creating Porto’s new cultural wine district
Starting his career in the British Cavalry Regiment, Adrian Bridge moved to Portugal in 1994 and is now CEO of The Fladgate Partnership, which produces Taylor, Fonseca, Fonseca-Guimaraens, and Croft Ports. Here, Bridge speaks to LUX’s Leaders and Philanthropists...
YKK America’s CEO Jim Reed on creating sustainable products for less
The amount of zips produced by YKK each year far outstrips the number of people currently on Earth. So how can a company mass producing and growing at such scale stay true to values of circularity and sustainability? LUX speaks to Jim Reed, CEO of YKK America, about...
Markus Müller on financing sustainable development
There is a major issue with meeting our sustainability goals: the financial and structural support is, in many cases, just not there. Deutsche Bank’s Markus Müller explains to Darius Sanai what needs to happen to close the gap LUX: What is the sustainable...
Leslie Ramos and Aurelie Cauchy on the complexities of art philanthropy
Leslie Ramos and Aurelie Cauchy are co-founders of The Twentieth, a pioneering art advisory that focuses on supporting the arts and culture. Following the launch of Ramos’ book, Philanthropy in the Arts: A Game of Give and Take, Samantha Welsh speaks to the...
Karen Sack: Five Things That Need to Happen at COP 28
It is under three weeks until the start of one of the most important climate summits in history. At the end of November, world leaders gather in the UAE for COP 28, an ever-more urgent climate crisis looming amid growing geopolitical instability. Here, Karen Sack,...
Mae Anderson on nurturing Singapore’s art community
Mae Anderson, serves as the chairman of Art Outreach, a non-profit organisation committed to promoting art appreciation and nurturing the connections within Singapore’s art community. Mae’s contributions extend to her role as the Head of Philanthropy Services...
Enric Sala on working to protect vital areas of the ocean
After a number of years writing about ocean conservation as an academic, Enric Sala decided he wanted to take a more active role in protecting our seas. Here he tells Trudy Ross about his Pristine Seas project, which combines exploration and research to conserve the...
Francis Sultana: The life of a leader in design
World renowned interior designer Francis Sultana has been taking the world by a storm through his residential, hospitality and commercial projects. Here, he speaks to Samantha Welsh about how he went from designing his mother’s home in Malta to leading the...
Maison Courvoisier’s Thibaut Hontanx on heritage and celebration
Thibaut Hontanx is the seventh Chief Blender of the historic Maison Courvoisier. Here, he speaks to LUX about the brand’s famous past, and the importance of celebrating the present LUX: Can you start by telling us a bit about Maison Courvoisier’s history...
Boodles’ Honour and Jody Wainwright on sustainability in the jewellery industry
Boodles, the globally-renowned sixth generation family business, is pioneering sustainability in the diamond and jewellery industry, using technology to trace each diamond and working closely with their workers and the mines to ensure a healthy environment for both...
Anahita Taneja & Shefali Somani on building South Asia’s art community
Anahita Taneja & Shefali Somani founded Shrine Empire in 2008 with a mission to support South Asian artists. Here the gallerists speak to Samantha Welsh about the development of India’s art scene and the importance of collaboration to build up South...
Carl Hansen & Søn’s CEO on pioneering Danish design
Carl Hansen & Søn began as a small furniture workshop in Odense in 1908. Today, it is a company stretching across continents. Knud Erik Hansen tells LUX about continuing his grandfather’s legacy as CEO of the Danish furniture brand LUX: Carl Hansen & Søn...
An interview with Blue Latitudes: can oil rigs help save the ocean?
After meeting at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Emily Hazelwood and Amber Jackson founded the Blue Latitudes Foundation in 2018 to explore the untapped potential of decommissioned oil rigs. Here, they speak to LUX about how these infrastructures might be...
Giovanni Geddes da Filicaja’s legacy at Ornellaia and Masseto
Ornellaia, recently held its 15th charity auction dedicated to the Vendemmia d’Artista 2020 ‘La Proporzione’. The online auction, conducted by Sotheby’s, raised $300,000 contributing to a total of $2.5M since the project began. Here, Samantha...
Hans Sauter on environmental responsibility in the food industry
Hans Sauter is the Chief Sustainability Officer at Fresh Del Monte. He speaks to Trudy Ross about the company’s sustainability journey and the importance of creating a culture of respect for the environment LUX: Could you provide an overview of the company’s...
Aliya and Farouk Khan on the Malaysian contemporary art scene
Over the last 25 years Aliya and Farouk Khan have been carefully curating a collection of art works by prominent first generation Malaysian contemporary artists. Known as The AFK Collection, this is one of the most comprehensive collections of seminal artworks by a...
Salomon CEO Franco Fogliato on environmental responsibility in business
Can creating new products be sustainable? Franco Fogliato speaks to LUX about Salomon’s sustainability efforts and how he believes consuming differently can be more important than consuming less LUX: When did Salomon start focusing on environmental...
Mike Scarola on his vision for a new kind of luxury travel
Mike Scarola is the CEO of Butterfield & Robinson, a luxury travel company with the goal of making a positive impact. He speaks to LUX about connecting with local communities and travelling on two wheels instead of four LUX: What was the inspiration behind your...
Ryder Cup’s Guy Kinnings On The Future Of Golf
Guy Kinnings is the Deputy CEO, Ryder Cup Director & Chief Commercial Officer at European Tour Group & Ryder Cup. Ahead of the Ryder Cup in Rome this weekend, he speaks to Samantha Welsh about the growing enthusiasm for the sport from the next generation and...
Blazé Milano’s Corrada Rodriguez d’Acri on creating iconic style
Corrada Rodriguez d’Acri is a former fashion editor and stylist, and one of the founding members of Blazé Milano, the a hot Italian luxury brand on the womenswear scene. Here, she speaks to LUX in honour of the brand’s 10 year anniversary LUX: Tell us about...
Rapha CEO Francois Convercey on diversity and sustainability in cycling
Francois Convercey is the newly appointed CEO of luxury cycling brand Rapha. Here he speaks to LUX about the company’s sustainability initiatives and the need for greater age and gender diversity in cycling LUX: How has the structure of Rapha changed with the...
Pierre Barreau on the future of AI in the music industry
AIVA AI is an AI music composer which allows people to create their own personalised life soundtracks. Here, LUX speaks to its founder, Pierre Barreau, about the future of AI and its impact on the music industry LUX: Can you give us some background about your company...
Blue Ventures Founder Alasdair Harris on supporting coastal communities
Alasdair Harris founded Blue Ventures, an ocean conservation enterprise supporting local fishing communities. Here, he speaks to Trudy Ross about the work they do across the globe, and the greatest challenges facing our oceans today LUX: You have described yourself as...
Baroness Scotland on helping nations combat climate change
As Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations, a central pillar of Patricia Scotland’s diplomatic work is to help the group of 56 Commonwealth countries – many with historical links to the UK – adapt to the impacts of climate change. It is an issue she knows all...