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Vmark Design Week is the pioneering event celebrating Vietnam’s design industry

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Hannah Lillethun comes from a diverse and multi-cultural background. Born in Norway in 1976, she moved to India with her family at the age of 5 and spent the next 35 years living in Asia. She has worked with several international non-profit organizations throughout her professional career, developing programs for social improvement.

For the past 10 years Hannah has been helping to lead the Farmani Group as Program Director of the company’s prestigious international design and photography awards – executing the annual awards programs, coordinating jury panels on international platforms, planning events and exhibitions around the world, and more. Now once again based in Norway, she is passionate about promoting and celebrating creativity from all around the globe, across all disciplines and in all aspects of society.

Ms. HANNAH LILLETHUN

General Manager – Farmani Group

Program Director – FG Design and Photography Awards

Davide Conti was born in Genoa. After classical studies, he joins the faculty of Industrial Design in Genoa University. Since 2006 his focus on furniture design and interior design, he started to participate and win several national and international design competitions. In 2007 he became a member of ADI (Association for Industrial Design), at the end of 2011, founded the territorial delegation of ADI in his region Liguria, and he is elected as councilor for ADI Liguria from 2012 to 2016. In 2008 he starts undertaking professional relationships with national and international clients. At the end of 2012, he decided to open the Davide Conti Design Studio. From September 2013 to July 2015 he has held the role of Project Manager ADI China, and since October 2015 he represent ADI in China, developing with Chinese partners projects related to the internationalization of ADI actively contributing to the promotion and development of projects between the Italian and Chinese world of design. Over the years the studio saw so broaden its horizons in Milan and now in Shanghai. Since 2015 he has been actively participating as a jury of international design award and since 2016 he has been teaching interior design and Italian design for different Chinese universities, developing courses, workshops, and cultural design tours in Italy for Chinese design students. In 2017 together with other colleagues working in China, he founded the IADC, Italian Architects and Designers Community in China. In 2019 he founded IDM - Italian Design Masterclass in Shanghai, an extra-academic course of high education for Chinese designers. In 2020 he held the position of Senior Account for POLI.design in China. He is particularly creative and lives the reality with joy and curiosity, drawing out innumerable cues which lead him to commit to his job with passion. Lives and works between Shanghai (China), Milan (Italy), and his beloved Chiavari (Genoa, Italy).

Mr. DAVIDE CONTI

Founder, Design Leader

Short Biography:
With over 12 years of experience in Automotive and Industrial Design, acquired valuable expertise through academic studies and practical experiences across a range of international locations including Iran, Malaysia, Turkey, Austria, Italy, and Germany.
Deep background proficiency in the complete design and manufacturing journey, covering interior and exterior design of the vehicles, CMF & HMI design & prototyping across electric vehicles, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, commercial vehicles, buses, trucks, trams, trains, drones, and various other products and gadgets.
Deep expertise in teamwork, team leading, building strategical partnerships, university collaborations, building & launching design award, teaching, mentoring, judging in multiple design awards & contests, event management, public speaking & presenting.

Short paragraph expressing my thoughts on the VMARK Vietnam Design Award:
The VMARK Vietnam Design Award stands out as a significant platform recognizing exceptional design talent in Vietnam. It not only highlights innovative and creative projects but also fosters growth within the design community. Recently, there has been notable improvement in the fields of automotive and product design in Vietnam. Events like VMARK are crucial for expanding the overall understanding of design topics and demonstrating that design excellence is not confined to a specific region or country. Talent is global, and such events ensure that no single region is seen as the sole pioneer in design, showcasing that creativity thrives worldwide.

Mr. KOOROSH SHOJAEI

Design & Strategy Manager

Hossein Farmani, is an entrepreneur and creative force, he has left an indelible mark on the worlds of publishing, design, and photography. Born with a passion for artistic expression, Farmani embarked on his journey by founding the Farmani Group in 1985, headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Initially focusing on publishing with ventures like Vue Magazine and FotoFolio magazine, he quickly rose to prominence, receiving awards for his innovative approach as both Creative Director and Publisher.

In 1995, he recognized the transformative potential of the internet and established one of the first Internet service providers, ARTNET.NET. His efforts not only connected people globally but also played a pivotal role in educating the public on utilizing email and establishing an online presence, earning him recognition in prestigious publications like the New York Times.

Farmani continued to push boundaries. In 2004, he introduced the Lucie Awards, often hailed as the Oscars of Photography, alongside the International Photography Awards (IPA), cementing his commitment to celebrating photographic excellence. This dedication extended further in 2007 with the inception of the International Design Awards and the London Creative Awards, platforms designed to champion designers and the creative community worldwide.

In response to a call from the European Parliament, he established the European Product Design Awards in 2016, further solidifying his commitment to recognizing exceptional design. Collaborating with like-minded visionaries, he co-founded the Architectural Masterprize Awards in 2017, fostering a global platform for architectural and interior design excellence.

Throughout his career, Farmani’s passion for art and design has driven him to create some of the most respected awards in the industry. His mission has always been to honor the vision, passion, and dedication of exceptional creative talents, shining a spotlight on their extraordinary contributions to humanity’s cultural tapestry.

Mr. HOSSEIN FARMANI

Founder

Steve has focused on advocating for Design and the role it can play across a career spanning 25 years. He is deeply experienced in the business of design, having worked in and led design organisations before co-founding and growing Meld Studios from three founders in 2009 to twenty-five Designers across four studios today. The company has a string of accolades, winning the Australian Good Design Team of the Year in 2022 and becoming the first Australian headquartered company to become Employee-Owned by Trust in 2021.

Steve has played a critical role in the growth of Interaction Design, User Experience, Service Design and Strategic Design as communities of practice in Australia and around the world, helping to expand the Interaction Design Association from 10,000 to 75,000 members globally; convening Australia’s premier User Experience conference - UX Australia - since 2009; and launching and coordinating the UX Bookclub in 140 locations around the world.
Steve is a Good Design Ambassador and served on the Jury Panel for the Australian Good Design Awards from 2012-2016.

An accomplished speaker and presenter, Steve has also recently published a book on Strategic Design, Designing Tomorrow, co-authored with Dr. Martin Tomitsch of UTS.

Mr. STEVE BATY

CEO

Mr. SIMON ONG

Deputy Chairman & Co-Founder

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Lisa Cahill joined the Australian Design Centre team as Associate Director in 2015 and in 2016 she was appointed as CEO and Artistic Director. In that time she has developed and presented seven annual creative programs, curated more than 40 exhibitions, founded and directed the annual Sydney Craft Week Festival, and restarted the organisation’s commitment to supporting makers and designers with a retail shop and twice yearly outdoor markets.

With more than 35 years’ experience, Lisa has held various government roles in Canberra and Melbourne, including a stint as a ministerial adviser, SBS, the Australia Council for the Arts and the City of Sydney. Working variously as a curator, writer and creative producer in the visual and performing arts, Lisa co-curated the Australian exhibition for the Triennale of Craft in Kanazawa, Japan in 2013 and, most recently, co-curated ADC’s award nominated podcast series.

Lisa was the founding CEO of the Australian Design Alliance and is currently co-chair of the Australian Craft and Design Centres Network (ACDC). She holds a Bachelor of Communications in Professional Writing at the University of Canberra and a Master of Arts Administration from UNSW. Lisa is a Fellow of the Gordon Darling Foundation Museum Leadership Program.

Ms. LISA CAHILL

CEO and Artistic Director

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