Designer Francesca Sangalli to lead the Color&Trim Concept&Strategy department at SEAT

Francesca Sangalli, new SEAT’s head of Color&Trim Concept&Strategy

• She is going to manage the Color&Trim Concept&Strategy department, which is responsible for creating the colours and materials of new vehicles
• With a background of more than 16 years in Advanced Design at Mercedes-Benz, Sangalli joins SEAT as of this month

MARTORELL, 11-Sep-2018 — /EuropaWire/ — Designer Francesca Sangalli will be joining SEAT later this month as the head of Color&Trim Concept&Strategy. Sangalli will be an important pillar for creating the strategy of new colours and materials of the brand’s future models.

The Color&Trim department is a key area within SEAT’s design team as it is responsible for creating the new materials, colours, textures, fabrics and leathers, among others, that are featured in the Spanish brand’s vehicles. It therefore plays an essential role in creating the identity of the products and in the way the brand is perceived in order to respond to the latest trends.

Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos, SEAT’s Design director since 2011, pointed out that “the appropriate choice of materials and colours is a way to differentiate the perceived appeal and high quality of our brand’s vehicles, and Francesca is certainly one of the best international talents in this discipline. We are extremely proud to welcome her experience and excellence to the team.”

Born in Milan in 1970, Sangalli has a proven track record in the area of design, and more specifically in the development of concepts and creative strategy in the automotive sector. She lead trends, strategy and innovation in Colors and Materials Design at the Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design studio in Como, where she worked for over 16 years before joining SEAT. In addition, she also participated in defining the design philosophy of Mercedes-Benz, Smart and the sub-brand AMG.

Francesca Sangalli is going to manage SEAT’s Color&Trim Concept&Strategy team, where she will benefit from the experience of the current team leader Jordi Font. Font is going to be responsible for the operational implementation of the design strategy.

Sangalli holds a degree in Architecture, specialising in industrial and interior design, from the Polytechnic University of Milan, where she graduated with honours. Furthermore, she also has an industrial design degree from Brunel University in London and speaks Italian, English and French.

Francesca Sangalli’s appointment reflects SEAT’s firm commitment to design as a key element for the growth of the company. This year, the brand is concluding its SUV offensive with the SEAT Tarraco, and is going to debut the new generation Leon in 2019, two launches that represent a step forward in the company’s design language. Likewise, the arrival of the brand’s first fully electric vehicle in 2020 will also imply a design and technological revolution for SEAT.

A unique Design Centre

With a team of approximately 150 creative members, the SEAT Design Centre is a one-of-a-kind facility in the south of Europe and the only one in the automotive sector that designs vehicles in Spain. This is where all the SEAT models are designed, and collaboration work is carried out on several projects for the rest of the Volkswagen Group brands.

SEAT Communications

Cristina Vall-Llosada
Head of Corporate Communication
T / +34 93 708 53 78
M/ +34 646 295 296
cristina.vall-llosada@seat.es

Blanca Marco
Corporate Communications
M/ +34 699 158 887
Blanca.marco@seat.es

SOURCE: SEAT, S.A.