Advisory Board

Alexander Höfling is a graduate engineer (FH) in shipbuilding and has been internationally active in mechanical and plant engineering as well as interior design for three decades. As managing director and in other leading positions, he has been responsible for commercial and interior design projects at shipyards and suppliers for many years. Since 2022, he has served on the board of the well-known Meyer Group in various leadership roles and functions, successfully reshaping the business and establishing the new after-sales brand MEYER RE. As Chairman of AIP and RE Interior, he is reshaping the business processes with his knowledge from development experience and ongoing business activities.

As Hotel Design Director at Carnival UK, Alison is responsible for Cunard and P&O Cruises interior brand vision, development and implementation of hotel design, standards and specifications for refits and newbuilds. Currently immersed in the design of Cunard’s new ship (2022), Alison influences all public area and cabin spaces and product selection including furnishings, lighting, signage and art. With 28 years cruise ship design experience, Alison brings exceptional skill and expertise to her role.

As Principal Manager, Andrea Bartoli is leading the Outfitting Design Team in Carnival Corporate Shipbuilding. Andrea is accountable for the design development dealing with all the parties involved (architects, yard, outfitters, corporate entities, etc), and has been working for almost 20 years in the cruise building industry in charge of newbuilding, refitting, dry-dock, and operation.

Andrea has been involved in more than 50 cruise vessels projects, delivered and refurbished. He works with all the major shipyards in the world including Fincantieri, Meyerwerft, Daman, Mariotti, Bremenhaven, Sembawang, Grand Bahamas Freeport, Shanghai HRDD, Cadiz, and more, whilst collaborating with several architects and lighting designers.

Andy has over 25 years’ experience in design and has worked internationally on many large-scale leisure developments. His continued drive and enthusiasm for innovative relevant design keeps SMC fresh, dynamic, and relevant. Passionate about good design, he is adept at combining years of experience with innovative and new thinking to produce unique and challenging creative solutions for clients. Andy believes that SMC’s success is down to its people and their approach to design, both of which continue to strengthen the company and benefit clients around the world.

Anne Mari Gullikstad is the Chief Executive Office of YSA Design, where she is also Partner and a Senior Interior Architect. YSA Design is based in Oslo, Norway and has specialised in designing cruise ships, small ships and river cruise vessels since 1985. She draws on over 26 years of experience with to head the company’s management team, also fulfilling the role of project leader in key YSA Design assignments. 

With an Honours Degree and Diploma in Fine Arts from the California College of the Arts & Crafts, Anne Mari brings a fresh and original approach to her architectural work, in which she has been certified to practice since 1993. As an interior architect and designer, her landmark projects have included some of the best-known cruise ships in the world, including Oriana (P&O Cruises), Disney Magic, Wonder, Dream & Fantasy, Silver Cloud and Wind, and the Seven Cruises ships Mariner and Voyager Radisson. She has also worked on a series of ships for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. 

As project leader (and interior designer), Anne Mari also oversees and manages some of YSA Design’s most prestigious work, including assignments for Disney Cruise Line and SeaDream. She is currently leading YSA Design’s extensive conversion project for the Costa Cruise ships Costa Venezia and Toscana. 

Since 2014, Antonio Di Nenno is Architect Director of MSC Cruises’ new building department. Prior to this, he used to work in the yacht design industry. In this position, Antonio is involved in the development of all the new prototype ships designed for MSC Cruises, following the process from the concept design to the delivery. Antonio focuses his attention on the design and outfitting of guest cabins and public areas in order to ensure that the ship’s interiors are in line with MSC Cruises’ vision of the cruise experience.

Over the past 25 years, Boris Ruskovsky has been involved with operations, construction, and startups of numerous vessels for globally renowned cruise lines. Now Managing Director of Bourne Group he is responsible for overseeing and implementation of the strategic direction of the company, as well as leading the development and implementation of operational plans.

Cynthia Guthrie is Founder and President of Guthrie & Associates, Inc. established in 1990 and currently serves as Past International President on the International Executive Board of Directors for NEWH, Inc. among other positions served on the local and international levels since 2003.

Known for her passion and commitment to the hospitality industry she has been recognised for her leadership and selected by her peers to receive the Joyce L. Johnson Recognition of Excellence Award and numerous sales awards but most important to Cindy is providing a platform to encourage students to focus their futures to hospitality.

Her company is a creative & collaborative playground for designers, architects, developers, procurement specialists, corporate brands, and construction professionals. With over 30 years of experience, she acquired skills and expertise in business development, global marketing strategies and product development.

Cindy’s philosophy.……the best way to work together is to create enthusiasm, provide impeccable service and keep the flow rolling throughout the whole process. Driven by the thought that collaborative & collective work gets the best results, we believe in partnership with our clients. Every great project needs strong ideas and clients need inspiring people who can advise them about innovative products and applications for their creative world.

The foundation for our work is a very simple idea……providing relevant products and combining a designer’s vision to achieve great projects and experiences. “If you like what you do you excel at what you create.”

Daniela Herget has more than 26 years experience in the cruise & hotel industry worldwide. Originally coming from the interior design and outfitting field, Daniela started early to work abroad and develop her unique career in the Cruise & Hotel Industry.

After many years in operations at sea and with supporting various start up teams in different countries, she decided to combine her two passions for cruise ships and interior design & outfitting and start her own “Cruise Consultant Business” in 2010.
While working onboard smaller and exclusive European marked cruise lines and river cruise lines as a consultant she was mainly booked with the largest US cruise lines and start up teams like The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection.

Daniela has started to develop the LEAN Development of the LEAN INTERIOR OUTFITTING “Train” for large cruise ship refurbishments in collaboration with Porsche Consulting, RCCL, which now proves more than 150% efficiency increase of the refurbishment projects on Staterooms, Suites, Crew Cabins etc..

She is well known and respected for her extensive industry knowledge and management experience in international teams and in particular for European – US relationship and company cooperation’s or Joint-ventures.

David has 25 years’ experience in the hospitality and maritime industry at Executive level, both operationally and in vessel newbuild/refurbishment design and delivery. Graduating from Leeds Metropolitan University in BSc (Hons) Hospitality Management, a 14-year sea-going career with P&O Cruises, (a Carnival Corporation brand) was followed by various land-based roles at Carnival UK, Southampton. Responsible for several refurbishments and newbuild projects, notably the P&O Cruises flagship, Britannia, where he is proud to have been presented to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth. previously at AD Associates, an award-winning, multidisciplinary design agency based in the heart of London, David oversaw all marine projects as well as Sales & Marketing activity.

David is now Senior Director Newbuilding OPI & Logistics at IMA Holding Ltd. Throughout its lifespan, his extensive managerial experience across complex projects and service delivery looks to add value, nurture relationships and build trust and credibility with clients and partners worldwide.

Gary Annett has been with MJM Marine, a world leading global marine outfitter, since 1998. Gary has hands-on experience of the refit industry, having started his career as an apprentice with another company before moving up the ranks and joining MJM Group. During that period, he held a number of Directorship roles including Commercial Director and Projects Director. He was appointed Chief Executive Officer in 2016. His strong customer focus, precision planning, and attention to detail are at the heart of Gary’s approach to business which has led to MJM Marine securing substantial contracts with the world’s leading cruise companies.

George Scammell is Director Interior Asset Management – Princess Cruises.

A global hospitality design leader, George has extensive experience in the hospitality, cruise, and leisure entertainment industry.  Leadership positions include VP of Global Design for Wyndham Worldwide, Principal for CORE architects, VP of Design for ForrestPerkins, and Design Management for Walt Disney World Resorts.  George earned his bachelor’s degree in Interior Design from Florida State University, is a licensed Interior Designer, and a Professional Member of both the American Society of Interior Designers, and the International Interior Design Association.

Greg Walton, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP is the founding partner of Studio DADO, a Miami-based design studio specializing in cruise ship and hospitality interiors, which has established itself as an integral part of the cruise design industry. Greg has designed projects such as Royal Caribbean International’s Oasis class ships and the “Seven Seas Explorer” for Regent Seven Seas Cruises. With a Master’s in Architecture from Georgia Tech, and an MS in International Business from Johns Hopkins, Greg has mentored cruise ship design students at Florida International University since 2007 and sits on the Cruise Ship Interiors advisory board. Greg watches trends: he sees technology as a key driver of industry change and reminds emerging designers to consider the continual advancements in how we interface with and control our built environment. In his free time, Greg is a tireless world traveller who is rarely seen without his Italian greyhound, Enzo. https://www.studiodado.com/

Helena Sawelin has been with TDoS for more than 25 years. During this time, Helena has worked with some of the largest and most prestigious clients in the marine business, working also with high-end hotels, yachts, and high street boutiques.  

As a Partner of TDoS, she is currently Business Director and also Head of the Design Studios.

Bolidt is a specialist in ship deck systems and floor systems for cruise liners. With innovative systems, materials and solutions for ship decks and floors, Bolidt meets the requirements of ship-owners, architects, shipyards and interior designers of cruise liners.

Jon Ingleton is the executive editor of International Cruise & Ferry Review and Cruise & Ferry Interiors. Jon led the team that launched the magazine almost 25-years ago and in 2011 he acquired it on behalf of Tudor Rose where he is currently managing director. In addition to directing the company’s other publishing activities, Jon has editorial responsibility for Tudor Rose’s Cruise & Ferry suite of products. In this role Jon tracks key developments and trends in the cruise and ferry sectors, leads our association memberships and related activities, represents the magazine at global events and fulfils regular editorial assignments on a range of topics. Please visit www.cruiseandferry.net and www.Tudor-Rose.co.uk for more information.

My Nguyen was born in Vietnam and has resided in Seattle since the age of 2. She holds degrees in Interior Design and Fine Arts. My has earned accolades for award-winning and nationally recognized projects in marine, high-end residential, and hospitality design. She joined Holland America Group in a newly created leadership role to form an in-house design team that oversees the interior refurbishments and maintenance of Holland America Line and Seabourn’s fleet. My is also the head designer of staterooms on Holland America Line newbuild vessels.

Nick took ownership of Trimline in early 2021, along with the existing COO Ross Welham. He has a strong track history of the building and developing companies in the marine technology industry, and is now looking to bring his skills to bear on the marine interior refit space.

Having provided technology and global event support for trans-ocean yacht races, desert car rallies and Arctic husky adventures, he is no stranger to the logistical issues of getting people and materials to far-flung places with tricky time constraints.

Since September 2020, he has been working with Trimline to further develop their services, with technology, integrity & superb customer service at the heart. With Nick’s varied background in software engineering, product design, project management & finance he is looking forward to meeting everyone at CSIE this year, and discussing how Trimline (and the industry as a whole) can grow and develop over the next few years.

Peter Joehnk is the founder and co-managing director of the Hamburg-based studio, JOI-Design, one of Europe’s most respected leaders in hospitality interior architecture and design. Peter believes there has never been a more exciting time to be a hospitality designer and that design is now recognized as crucial to the success of every development. Over three decades, Peter and his team have made major contributions to this evolving narrative, bringing to life luxurious and innovative hospitality destinations for leading brands as well as independent properties, garnering many awards in the process. The team’s prolific portfolio encompasses grand historic establishments, new-build hotels, vibrant restaurants and spas as well as airport and business hotels. In addition, Peter focuses on building biology and has recently spearheaded and hosted Speakeasy Salons bringing together hospitality leaders to exchange views on topical industry issues.

Petra, originally from Sweden, has been practicing Interior Design in multiple geographical locations. Starting her career with land-based projects working for Wilson Associates in North America and for HBA in London. The introduction to ship design came via Tillberg Design of Sweden which led her to heading up the design department for P&O Australia for the last 6 years in Sydney. Petra just embarked on a new journey starting her own design firm called Design Studio Berg+. 

Ever since he was a young child, Petu has loved the sea and ships, and been fascinated by designing and customizing objects, from artwork, to helmets, to cell phone covers to vehicles and anything in-between. “As long as I can remember, I’ve been attracted to creating things and to taking what already exists and improving it,” Kummala says. As an adult, that led him to Kone-Plan OY/Deltamarin Group, a firm that specializes in ship design and engineering, where one of his clients was Carnival Cruise Line. That is where he met Joe Farcus, the legendary designer who was involved in creating the interiors of all Carnival’s ships from 1975 until his retirement in 2013. When Farcus offered Kummala the opportunity to join his firm, Kummala says that it took less than 10 seconds for him to make his decision. After working on 17 Carnival, nine Costa and few other brands’ ships, Kummala launched 358 Design, which he still operates. But in 2015, Carnival asked him to join its staff, where he is now director of interior design & architecture. As he continues to combine creative inspiration with technical innovations, Kummala is guided by a very personal philosophy.  “If I can give passengers something new to discover every day, I’ve created a successful design.” 

Sascha Lang is Vice President, Architectural & Design | Newbuild & Innovation at Royal Caribbean Group, and is assigned to the Royal Caribbean International brand. Sascha joined Royal Caribbean Group in September 2019.

He has over 25 years of experience in hotel design management and has worked with leading hospitality groups in Europe, the Middle East, India, Africa and Asia-Pacific. Well-regarded by professional associates within the hospitality industry for his ability to creatively integrate the development of hotels and interior design concepts, Sascha has extensive experience in hotel and mixed-use development, acquisitions and due diligence, project development and management, concept development, interior design and technical services.

A Swiss national, Lang has a degree in architecture and studied building construction and structural engineering. He holds a degree in business administration as well as a diploma in hotel management from the Belvoirpark Hotel Management School in Zurich.

Stephen is a native of Ireland who left shortly after university, moving firstly to England. Since then, he has lived and worked in Hong Kong, Australia, and Italy. At University he undertook studies in Architecture, and 10 years later postgraduate studies in Project Management. He has been involved in the cruise industry for over 25 years working on new build, refurbishment, and major conversion projects for some of the world’s leading cruise lines. Stephen’s main area of expertise is in interior fit-out works and over the years has gained vast experience and knowledge in Project Management of cruise ship construction projects. Stephen’s most recent projects include Celebrity Silhouette, final delivery of RCI Wonder of the Seas, and Silver Nova for Silversea. 

He now lives in Florida, mainly because that is where the work is, but also because he dislikes cold weather.

Thomas Westergaard is a hospitality management professional with extensive experience from Hotel & Cruise Operations. He has been with Hurtigruten Group for eight years in various senior management positions. Thomas is responsible for designing onboard concepts and interiors in the fleet through refurbishment and New Build programs.

Thomas has four children and is currently based in Oslo, Norway.

As vice president of New Building, Trevor Young is currently coordinating the 13 new building projects that are currently part of MSC Cruises’ fleet expansion plan. He also coordinates all refurbishment projects in the Company’s existing fleet. Trevor’s career started with him earning a diploma of business and hospitality management, along with a certificate in hotel and catering Management which lead him to the cruise industry in 1996.