Amko Leenarts is director of Design for Ford of Europe, with responsibility for the exterior and interior design of vehicles developed by Ford of Europe including models for global markets.
Since 2017, Leenarts has led Ford of Europe’s Design team from the Ford Design Studio in Merkenich, Germany, and the company’s commercial vehicle design centre, located at the Dunton Campus in Essex, U.K. Sloping rooflines, sensual surfaces and athletic lines are among Leenarts’ design signatures that can be seen in Ford models including the all-new Mustang-inspired all-electric SUV, and the new Puma SUV-inspired compact crossover.
Previously, as director of Global Interior Design for Ford Motor Company, Leenarts was responsible for future interior design strategy for both the Ford and Lincoln brands worldwide.
Leenarts graduated from the Academy of Arts in Groningen, Netherlands, with a degree in Interior Architecture. With a passion for car design, Leenarts went on to study at the Royal College of Art in London, graduating with a Master’s degree in Vehicle Design.
Leenarts joined Peugeot, where he held several interior design positions, and also led the development of production and concept cars. He joined Ford in 2012.
A native of The Netherlands, Leenarts is married with five children. A long distance runner, Leenarts has also a passion for art, and is a keen amateur artist.

A native of Belgium, Pierre Leclercq, 50 years old, studied Industrial Design for 4 years at the Saint-Luc de Liège Institute and studied at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California (USA). He earned a degree in transportation design in 1998. After a stint at Ford’s Ghia studio in Italy, he joined in 2000 the BMW group in California and Munich, and took the lead in 2011 in the design of BMW M, the high performance label of BMW. In 2013, he was named Design Director of the Chinese manufacturer Great Wall Motors, and in 2017, he was appointed Design Director of Kia Motors in South Korea. Since November 2018, Pierre Leclercq is Citroën Head of Design.

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Pratap Bose is a British Designer, born in Bombay, India. After completing his schooling at the Cathedral and John Connon School, Pratap graduated from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad with a Diploma in Industrial Design, specialising in Product Design He then moved to Piaggio & C. SpA, in Pontedera, Italy, where over a period of 3 years, he worked on the design of products for the world renown Vespa, Piaggio and Gilera brands. Having won a scholarship to study a Masters’ degree in Vehicle Design, at the prestigious Royal College of Art, Pratap moved to London in 2001. Following this, he moved to Japan to work as a designer at Mitsubishi Motors, Nagoya and finally at the Mercedes Benz Advanced Design Centre in Yokohama, Japan. Pratap then joined the newly formed TATA MOTORS EUROPEAN TECHNICAL CENTRE (TMETC) in 2007 as a Technical Specialist. He was a part of the team that established a UK Design presence for Tata Motors. Operating initially from rented design studios in Birmingham and Coventry, Pratap helped in the design and planning of the TMETC UK design studio at the NAIC, on the University of Warwick Campus in Coventry. The Design Studio in the UK became the epicentre of advanced product design projects for Tata Motors and has delivered some award winning and market leading products. This includes concept as well as production cars. Drawing heavily on the talent from the Birmingham and Coventry area, the UK Design studio is now an integral part of TATA MOTORS’ Global Design Studio network. Pratap and his team have received many awards for outstanding design from the motoring press, and other bodies in India and Overseas, including Auto Car magazine and the German Design Council. In 2018, Pratap was awarded the Chief Design Officer of the Year, by the China Industrial Design Association. In 2021, Pratap was shortlisted as one of five World Car Person of the Year awardees. In June 2021, Pratap joined Mahindra and Mahindra, as the Chief Design Officer, the first time such a role has existed at the Mahindra group. In this role, Pratap is responsible for the India, as well as UK based Advanced Design studio. Pratap and his team of over 100 design professionals work across a range of products from Tractors, Trucks, buses, pick-ups and SUV’s. Pratap is an avid modeller, and has a collection of over 65 World War 2, 1:72 scale plastic models, which he creates in his free time.

For the last 3 years at Konzepthaus, Oliver and his colleagues built-up the consulting branch of Konzepthaus – focusing on the optimization of Automotive Design processes, re-organizing the respective teams and making them “Future-proof”.
Before that, Oliver ran the Design operations of the Chinese EV start-up Byton with studios near Munich and Shanghai. This included all digital and physical modelling, project management and budgeting. Dispatching tasks between the Design studios and the Tech Center in California was one of the biggest challenges.
Prior, in his role as Design Director of Semcon in Germany, his department processed large number surfacing projects for many European OEMs from concept to Class-A.
Therefore, moderating today´s panel, Oliver can rely on his own experience in that field.

Patrick Patrikios is a renowned sound designer in the automotive industry, specializing in creating immersive auditory experiences. His talents, however, extend far beyond revving engines and screeching tires. With a diverse portfolio, ranging from Britney Spears to Giorgio Moroder and Nicki Minaj, Patrick has played a pivotal role in shaping the sound of popular music. Currently, he holds the prestigious position of Head of Sound and Audio at FORSEVEN, where he continues to revolutionize the way we perceive sound.

Andrew is Vice President, Head of People Experience (HR) for Central Functions at Volvo Cars. He leads a global team responsible for organisational design, change management, culture development, performance and leadership. Volvo Cars’ Design department falls within Andrew’s remit and he has been leading the HR strategy there since January 2022. Before transitioning into HR, Andrew worked in London as a City lawyer advising clients on labour and employment matters. He now lives by the sea in Gothenburg and enjoys gardening (when it’s not raining) and cooking for his partner and two children.

Nicky Fox joined the Envisage Group as Lead CMF Designer in 2022, responsible for material research, CMF innovation, trend reporting, and developing emerging CMF talent.  She also supports the diverse range of projects and clients at Envisage.  She has over 20 years’ experience in automotive and aviation CMF design and development.  Initially specialising in automotive textile design and development both in the UK and Australia, she has worked with global automotive studios, creating distinctive high-performance textile products for a multitude of applications and brands.   Nicky then kicked-off her career as a CMF designer at Volvo Trucks in Sweden, designing, developing, and delivering innovative colour and material solutions, creating spaces for professional drivers that levelled their need for working functionality and relaxed, premium living. On her return to the UK, she joined CMF teams at Nissan, Lotus, and McLaren before switching into aviation seating and materials.  She enjoys challenging preconceived ideas about transportation design to find new ways forward, combining creativity with technical knowledge. .

Christoph Sieber began his career journey at KKN Ingenieurbüro GmbH in 2001 in Zwickau, where he started in the role of a Strak (Class A) engineer for Volkswagen and BMW. His path led him to Munich in 2002, where he represented KKN as a liaison at BMW. Initially serving as the Class A lead for the company, he managed various BMW vehicle projects and initiated the establishment of KKN's Munich branch.
In 2008, he became a partner at KKN Ingenieurbüro & Co. KG, and from that point onwards, he built a team of 20 Class A / CAS Specialists in Munich. Assuming the role of CEO at KKN since 2017, he and his team have been accountable for over 50 percent of all exterior aspects for BMW AG, including diverse interior and motorcycle Class A projects in development and also marketing visualization.
From 2004 to 2019, Christoph held the position of Class A lead for all Rolls-Royce exterior projects, while also pioneering with his Team the Design-Technology Convergence Process for various companies. He played a pivotal role in establishing the Lighting Convergence Process for BMW AG as an external partner and directed various BMW special projects.
Motivated by his ongoing passion for design, he co-founded Muniq Design GmbH in 2019, alongside his partners. Their goal was to actively shape and influence the early stages of vehicle development. With his design and innovation team, he initiated the initial phases of forward-looking projects that will explore new perspectives and avenues in mobility.
Following the departure of the former founder of KKN and the merger of KKN and Muniq Design under Muniq Holding GmbH, Christoph Sieber has been the Co-Founder and CEO of the Muniq Group since June 2023, overseeing approximately 80 employees worldwide. The group encompasses Muniq Design GmbH Germany, Muniq Design Italia s.r.l., Muniq Design North America inc., and KKN Ingenieurbüro GmbH & Co. KG. Together, they oversee and guide the entire process of design-technology convergence under one umbrella.