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A design panel consisting of highly respected world design experts first review each candidate for the World Car Design of the Year award. They then establish a short-list of recommendations for the jurors.
The design experts are:
Anja Bracht: Germany - Pforzheim University
Marek Djordjevic: USA - Chair of Transportation Design, Art Center College of Design
Fabio Filippini: Japan - ACCAEFFE Creative Consulting
Antony Grade: Retired - Renault
Gert Hildebrand: Germany - Owner Hildebrand-Design
Victor Nacif: USA - Chief Creative Officer, Brojure.com and Design instructor, New School of Architecture and Design
Shiro Nakamura: Japan - CEO, Shiro Nakamura Design Associates Inc.
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Anja Bracht
Pforzheim University
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Born in Germany. After studying fashion design at Pforzheim University, Anja Bracht began working briefly in the fashion industry, including HUGO BOSS. She
switched to the automotive industry and started her design career at BMW M GmbH in Munich, then switched to BMW Technik after a few years; she then became
part of the Formula 1 design team. After a stopover at Renault Design Guyancourt, she was working on the development of the European market at Hyundai
Europe. Anja Bracht has been teaching Color + Material at Pforzheim University of Applied Sciences for 20 years in the Bachelor Transportation Design and
Master Transportation Design courses and currently supervises the interdisciplinary Color + Material courses.
She was responsible for many new vehicles and facelifts in the Color+Material division. These include the Hyundai Getz, Hyundai Color Material Collection
of the first generation, BMW M Roadster, BMW M3, BMW M5, BMW Individual Collection and Art Cars. Her favorite colors: Estoril blue, Imola red.
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Marek Djordjevic
Art Center College of Design
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Chair of Transportation Design at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena/USA. Djordjevic worked for the BMW Group for 15 yrs
in US/EU, designing BMW, Mini, MG, Land Rover and Rolls-Royce concept and production cars. He is best known for the RR Phantom
and 100EX. Worked alongside Rolls-Royce directors to determine marque's future direction, product planning and communications.
In 2005 set up Marek Djordjevic Inc, offering creative services leveraging brand/concept/design expertise. L.A. based, he focuses
on developing valued brands with clear vision, designing desirable products with inspired purpose and engaging more customers
with meaningful experience. As head of Transportation Design at Art Center, he regularly teaches classes.
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Fabio Filippini
ACCAEFFE Creative Consulting
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Fabio Filippini is an Italian car designer, graduated in Architecture at Milano Polytechnic. In his long professional career he
has collaborated with RENAULT, AUDI-VW Group and many other international car manufacturers, designing numerous show cars,
production cars and other means of transport. Chief Creative Officer at PININFARINA from 2011 to 2017, he has lived in Tokyo
since 2018 where he established ACCAEFFE Creative Consulting, working on car design and design strategy for clients all over the
world. In 2023 he created a digital concept car for BVLGARI, introduced in the GRANTURISMO 7 video game and associated with a
limited-edition chronograph by the prestigious Italian luxury brand. Honorary judge in various international Concours d’Elegance
and author of the book CURVE – 15 Lezioni sul Car Design, published in Italy by Rizzoli-Lizard, Fabio Filippini in 2024 received
the honour of “Cavaliere della Stella d’Italia”, for his contribution and enhancement of Italian creativity abroad.
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Antony Grade
Retired - Renault
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Antony Grade was educated at the Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle in London, and he received a BA Honours Degree in Transportation Design at Coventry University.
His automotive design career began in 1979 with an internship at Ford UK. In 1986, he moved to Ford Germany as Exterior Senior Designer working on C-D segment programs. In 1988, he joined Renault Design, under the leadership of Patrick le Quément. In 1992, he was named Chief Designer Interiors, before becoming Chief Designer Exteriors in 1995.
In 1997, he took on the position of VP Design Car Programs and in 2002, whilst maintaining this position he also took on the management of Renault Samsung Motors (RSM) Design in South Korea, where he restructured and developed the Design team.
In 2003, with the integration of both Dacia and RSM brands, he became VP Exterior Design and later, in 2006, VP Interior Design, whilst maintaining his responsibility for RSM Design. Following Renault Group’s acquisition of a stake in AvtoVAZ-Lada in 2008, he moved to Russia to lead the development of Lada Design. In October 2008, he was named VP Lada Design, where he restructured the Design team and initiated the creation of the Moscow Design Studio.
In 2010, he returned to Renault Design, assuming the dual responsibility of VP Design Programs for Laurens van den Acker, whilst maintaining a role as Senior Advisor to Lada Design. He continued as VP Design Programs, whilst also joining the Eurasia Management Committee, overseeing all design activities for Renault Group in Russia and Romania.
In 2017, he took on the newly created position of VP Design Alliance Synergies. He coordinated common design activities and projects shared between Renault and Alliance partners, Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors. At the same time, ge continued design activities for the Eurasia region, including setting up new design facilities for Dacia in Bucharest.
In 2022, at the age of 65, he retired from Renault. He continues to pursue various design activities, including in the educational field. He is also a member of the “Automotive Professionals” at the prestigious Automobile Club de France in Paris.
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Gert Hildebrand
Owner, Hildebrand Design
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After studying Mechanical Engineering at TH Karlsruhe and design at the Braunschweig University of Art and the Royal College of Art, London, Mr Hildebrand
began his design career at Opel. Subsequently he has held senior design positions at Volkswagen, Seat, 3M, Mitsubishi, JCI, Mini, Quoros and Bordrin Design,
Shanghai.
Among the many vehicles for which he was responsible are the Opel Junior and Kadett E, Volkswagen Golf 3, Seat Toledo 2 and Leon 1, multiple Mini and Qoros
models, and the 1994 Le Mans winning Porsche 962.
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Victor Nacif
Chief Creative Officer, Brojure.com
Design instructor, New School of Architecture and Design
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Born in Mexico, Victor moved to the U.S.A at the age of 9. His artistic abilities and passion for Automobiles allowed him to attend College for Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan (CCS). Victor’s career spans 38 years in the Automotive Industry through 3 great Automobile companies- Ford Motor Co. Design, PSA Peugeot Citroën Design and Nissan Design.
Leading and Managing on multiple Automotive projects from Advanced Concept to Production, Exterior, Interior and Color and Trim. During his career he has lived and worked in the USA, England, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain and France. He is fluent in Spanish, English and French.
Victor is now working on a variety of Projects that entail Interior Design, Product Design and Human Centric Design for the Office space. He is Chief Creative Officer at Brojure.com, a visually stunning software for the Travel Industry, and is a Design instructor at NewSchool of Architecture and Design in San Diego, California.
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Shiro Nakamura
CEO
Shiro Nakamura Design Associates Inc.
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Born in Osaka Japan 1950. Graduated from Musashino Art University in 1974 and joined Isuzu Motor Company. He studied at the Art Center College of Design in the US and holds a BS with distinction. He worked at General Motors Design in Michigan, created Isuzu Europe’s Design studio, and in 1998, became global design director of the design center. His most notable creation at Isuzu was the VehiCROSS SUV concept.
In 1999, Shiro was requested to join Nissan Motor Company to vitalize design. He served as Senior Vice President and Chief Creative Officer until March 2017. He established the strategy of design and brand for both Nissan and Infiniti contributing to the turnaround of the company. Throughout his career at Nissan he has created distinctive designs such as the Nissan 350Z, Cube and the iconic GT-R. He also led the design team that penned Nissan crossover vehicles including the Murano, Rogue/Qashqai, Juke and Infiniti FX.
In addition, Nakamura has been awarded numerous accolades including France’s Grand Prix du Design and America’s Eyes On Design Award among others. He established SHIRO NAKAMURA DESIGN ASSOCIATES in April 2017, and is continuing creative activities as a design consultant.
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