Q&A with Vincent Rey – M&R associates design

Vincent Rey, Senior Design Director & Co-owner – M&R associates design

How long have you been at your current organization?

I started M&R 11 years ago with another designer, Florent Magnin. Each of us have over 20 years of experience working in design departments of major completion centers and aircraft manufacturers which is a major strength when it comes to designing VVIP aircraft. The organization headquarters is located in Geneva and we have now offices in Basel and Paris.

What are your responsibilities within your organization?

I am co-owner and Senior Design Director at M&R, which means I perform design project management and oversee all design related activities.

Describe a typical day or week in your role.

Part of my day is spent communicating with the team on the design for our ongoing projects for new or refurbished aircraft. I also am often attending meetings and follow-ups at different completion centers as part of our project management duties in order to protect the interests of the aircraft owners. Time is also spent collaborating with our high-end exclusive suppliers to develop new samples and prototypes certified for business aviation.

As our regular “day to day” typical activity with M&R , we just delivered a brand new G650 for a Middle East customer a few months ago, delivered a refurbished Legacy 2 months ago for a European customer, Global 6000 refurbished design projects for several customers, Challenger paint schemes, refurbished B757-200 last year, and M&R recently got awarded the contract (all interior and exterior design and full project management)  for the first brand new wide-body VIP A330-200 private customer in China. The aircraft is currently under completion in Europe and I am specifically in charge of the design management of this outstanding project.

What do you love most about your job?

What I really enjoy the most in my job are all the creative aspects that come with designing exclusive and VVIP cabin interiors for our customers. The fact that each customer comes with a very different request and requirements makes each project unique. It allows me to come up with new creative designs in order to perfectly meet all of our customer’s expectations.

How did you get started working in the Business Aviation industry?

I started my career in Los Angeles at a high-end architect company. While designing luxury apartment interiors, I always had major interests in luxury aircraft interiors as well. I then moved back to Europe when Jet Aviation Basel offered me a position to work on the design of the first BBJ in Europe (back in 1998).

Who or what has been your greatest professional influence?

Peter Demaria was a real mentor to me and was my first boss when working in Los Angeles. He is a renowned architect and designer with worldwide references. He was very inspiring, always considering everybody’s feedback and ideas while providing relevant input in order to improve them. I still have regular contact with him.

What makes M&R unique?

I would describe M&R as a “boutique design company” tailored to exactly match our customers/owners needs. We are dedicated to design details and have worked hard to achieve great references worldwide. We differ from other design companies because we never impose a particular M&R style to our customers. For us, our customer’s lifestyle becomes our design style.

In addition to that, we are a design company that is fully dedicated to business aviation in comparison to other large design agencies. Our core business is designing VVIP interiors and exteriors for aircraft; which represents about 90% of our activity for an improved internal efficiency. M&R’s focus mainly towards business aviation enables our team to have a unique in-house design and technical expertise which is of primary importance when it comes to dealing with floor plan configurations, materials certifications and latest specific country regulations.

Describe yourself in 3 words.

Passionate, Creative, Dedicated.

What one item would you never travel without on a long-haul flight?

I never forget to carry my drawing pen along with my IPad, which allows me to instantly write down any sparkling ideas!

Finally, what is your hidden talent or hobby?

I am very sporty, in particular I enjoy practicing extreme sports: freeride skiing and climbing. It is a great way for me to have an adrenaline rush and stay in good shape.