The heads behind our studio.

Studied Marketing in Stuttgart

Worked with Publicis, Frankfurt

Freelance for Publicis, Ogilvy Mather, JWT, Ted Bates

2008 formation of Skalecki Marketing & Kommunikation

Apprenticeship in Zurich, Los Angeles and Chicago

1988–1998 International Exhibit Management

1998 founding GCGroup AG Zurich

since 2010 partner of ippolito fleitz group

Apprenticeship in Würzburg

1999–2009 archicult Breunig

since 2009 Project Director at Ippolito Fleitz Group

Dirk Zschunke pursued his studies in architecture and urban design at TU Darmstadt and SUNY Buffalo/NY, culminating in the attainment of his master's degree in 1999. With a career spanning over two decades, he has amassed extensive professional and academic experiences in Germany, the United States, the Netherlands, and, since 2010, in China. Throughout his journey, Dirk has lent his expertise to prominent practices like OMA, KPF, and KSP, contributing significantly to a diverse array of large-scale public, cultural, and mixed-use projects. While engaged in teaching at Jiaotong Liverpool University in Suzhou, he made a pivotal move in 2016, joining the globally renowned multidisciplinary design studio, Ippolito Fleitz Group (IFG). In his current capacity, he oversees the IFG Shanghai office, spearheading various interior and architecture projects. These projects span the spectrum from residential to commercial, and from workspace to hospitality, showcasing his versatile aptitude.

Yanyu has accumulated over 18 years of experience in the design and project management industry. Her multifaceted role has encompassed various responsibilities, such as business development, client management and liaison, project overview, and risk management. Her extensive work experience has honed her into a mature professional with exceptional communication skills, adept contract management abilities, and a problem-solving orientation. Yanyu's project portfolio is diverse and includes a range of sectors such as workspace, retail, hospitality, and residential projects.

Karen is - as her job title suggests - an absolute "people person". She is extremely committed, conscientious, clear and ambitious, both personally and professionally. She also has a warm and approachable personality.

Our Head of People & Organization Karen began her professional career in 1989 with her training as an industrial clerk at Robert Bosch GmbH. Various positions in different agencies and cities followed. Originally coming from project management, Karen found her calling at Scholz & Friend in Berlin: Human Resources. At the time, she supported the management in setting up the HR department, supervised trainees and BA students, was responsible for contracts and organized team events for up to 350 employees.

After 10 years in Berlin, three more years in project management in online marketing in Stuttgart followed and another 4 ½ years at the Panama agency, again in HR. The journey continued at AVANCE (today: port-neo AG) as Head of People, Culture & Organization with simultaneous membership of the Management Board. Here she learned not only leadership skills but also the importance of and approach to strategic corporate management. After 7 years, her path led her to us. Her expertise now covers a broad spectrum in the field of Human Resources. Her professional focus includes recruitment, active sourcing, training and further education, executive coaching and development, employment law, preparatory payroll accounting, personnel controlling, personnel planning, feel-good projects, employer experience, cultural development and corporate organization.

Tomás is a visionary, an award-winning designer with a master's level coursework from Domus Academy. Over the past two decades, he has showcased his innovative prowess by leading high-performance teams in renowned organizations such as Design Worldwide Partnership, Woods Bagot, Gensler, and Emaar. Recently, he has made significant contributions to the German multi-award-winning design firm Ippolito Fleitz Group, holding positions as the Berlin Lifestyle Studio Director, Director of International Projects, and Hospitality.

With expertise spanning three-dimensional design, concept development, construction, and design management, Tom has held senior directorial roles for over 18 years, bringing his extensive global experience to the forefront of the trendy lifestyle and leisure design industry across Europe, America, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.

Tomás ensures each project is not only conceptually unique, but also adequately staffed and resource-rich. His meticulous documentation aligns with service requirements, statutory regulations, and proposed concepts. During on-site implementation, he upholds the requisite quality standards, ensuring each vision comes to life in its full magnificence.

Timo Flott studied at the University of Applied Sciences Kaiserslautern and the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts - Schools of Architecture, Design and Conservation (KADK) in Copenhagen. His master's thesis on the modernisation of an old factory building won an award from the Association of German Interior Architects (BDIA). He worked as a freelance architect for several years before joining the Ippolito Fleitz Group as an interior designer in 2014. He has been one of the Design Directors at IFG since 2019.

Timo has a diverse project portfolio ranging from retail and workplaces to residential projects, exhibitions, and trade fairs. He focuses on concept development, execution planning, project management and modelling. His core expertise lies in the development of immersive spatial concepts. He has a great passion for innovation in the fields of architecture, design and materials and actively keeps up to date with the latest trends and developments in the industry. During project planning, he consistently follows the creative processes that drive the project forward.

Tim Lessmann started his professional career in 2005 as an intern at the Ippolito Fleitz Group. He is therefore one of our long-standing and most experienced interior designers. Over the years he has continued to develop to his current position as Design Director.

In this role Tim is responsible for the conceptual design up to the finished design phase. One of his focal points in strategic design development is 3D planning and the creation of high-quality visualizations. Tim has worked on over 300 projects in his career, many of which have received notable design awards.

Roger Gasperlin studierte an der FH Kaiserslautern und ist seit 2002 als Architekt tätig. Mit hervorragenden Fähigkeiten in Entwurf, Ausführung, Ausschreibung und Projektmanagement ist er besonders erfahren im effektiven Lösen von Problemen, damit sich eine Designidee ungehindert entfalten kann. In seiner Position als Project Director führt er die Projektmanager an und kontrolliert den Fortschritt von Projekten hinsichtlich der Einhaltung von Fristen, des Budgets und der erforderlichen Qualitätsstandards. Seine Stärken liegen insbesondere im Bereich der Kosten- und Kalkulationsplanung, der Erstellung der Ausschreibungsunterlagen und der Bauleitung komplexer Großprojekte.

Patrick is an outstanding architect and designer with over 11 years of experience leading teams in tackling intricate design ventures. He proudly holds a master’s degree in architectural design from Cardiff University and brings an impressive work history with esteemed firms in the domains of architecture, interior design, and urban planning in China. Patrick possesses a discerning eye for materials and excels in integrating meticulous detailing into broader architectural contexts. In his role as Workspace Project Leader at IFG, Patrick has spearheaded the creation of numerous cutting-edge office and commercial projects. His extensive experience, adept leadership abilities, and unwavering commitment to achieving excellence have solidified his status as a rising star in innovative design.

Markus Schmidt, a graduate in interior design from Coburg and as a master carpenter in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, brings a unique perspective to his role. He began his journey at Ippolito Fleitz Group in 2010 as an interior designer, leveraging his hands-on experience for meticulous project oversight. From intricate details to holistic vision, his background enables comprehensive project evaluation. His wide-ranging expertise is evident across the design studio, notably enhancing execution planning and project management.

José is a highly accomplished architect with a master's degree and a wide range of expertise encompassing urban planning, structural engineering, and architecture. Over the past 8 years, he has accrued diverse international work experience in Spain, Japan, and China. During this period, he has not only led but also made significant contributions to a wide array of interior, architectural projects. His specialisation primarily centres around large-scale ventures, with a strong focus on designing and constructing the interiors of office buildings and shopping centres. This realm allows him to harness his skills in seamlessly integrating interior and architectural design. In his current role as Project Director, José oversees a substantial team and is the driving force behind pioneering projects characterised by their distinctive and compelling features. Some of the noteworthy recent projects include Dalian Huanan MixC One, Wuxi MixC Mall, and China Resources Land Culture Bay in Shenzhen. 

Halil Dogan holds the position of Design Director at the Ippolito Fleitz Group (IFG) Shanghai Studio. He graduated with a major in Interior Design from Izmir University of Economics in Turkey, accompanied by a minor in Visual Communication Design. Halil's professional journey began at GeoID Istanbul, where he played an integral role in projects such as Maxx Royal Resorts, and W Hotel. Since joining IFG, Halil has been an instrumental part of various award-winning projects spanning the realms of retail, F&B, and hospitality. His contributions have earned him recognition, including the prestigious 2022 AD 100 Young Award. This distinction, bestowed bi-annually by the internationally acclaimed architecture, design, and lifestyle media Architectural Digest, underscores his talent and dedication to the field.

Bettina’s aim is to always achieve the best possible result by working in an efficient, organised and reliable way. Gaining knowledge and improving her abilities is something she constantly aspires to do. She is an open and considerate personality, dedicated and committed. She thoroughly enjoys working in teams and shaping good relationships with clients and colleagues alike. She does not scare away from taking responsibility, and using her creative capabilities to attain the optimum. She finds reward in working under pressure and obtaining the best result possible. Meticulous, tenacious, concentrated and well-organized: Bettina in a box. And she likes cats.

Anita Liu is a highly experienced and distinguished interior designer with a strong background in architectural design and interior design. She holds a Master’s degree from the Mackintosh School of Architecture at the Glasgow School of Art and has contributed her talents to esteemed design firms, including Neri & Hu and HASSELL. She later assumed roles as an Interior Design Director and Senior Partner at Steinberg Hart, engaging in diverse global projects. Currently serving as Project Director within IFG's Lifestyle Team, she specialises in both domestic and international private residential projects. Her work exudes a modern, minimalist flair coupled with a discerning eye for luxury. This distinctive approach shines in her contributions to high-end residential and historic building renovation endeavours.

After abandoning his original idea of joining a boy band, he chose a professional career in field hockey. This experience gives him his natural drive of discipline, to keep on improving to obtain the best result and staying ambitious. To contribute to being part of the best, Axel joined IFG in 2002 and as such is employee number one. His leadership Skills guide the challenges the projects (and clients) let us
solve. His expertise lies in brand & identity, spatial communication, including specialist signage & wayfinding. Axel and his team excel in translating our clients' brand identity ranging from naming and logo development, product development and customer journey, to breaking the concepts down to investor decks. Axel is always on top of new trends and technologies and eager to obtain mastery of the trade. Many of Axel's projects have won nationally and internationally renowned design awards.

Senem Cennetoglu obtained her architecture degree from Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts in Istanbul. After completing her MBA program in New York, she moved to Los Angeles in 2005 and worked for the
late architect, Jon A. Jerde. Since 2012, she she’s been living and working in Shanghai, collaborating with award-winning US architecture design firms, primarily focusing on retail and mixed-use projects. In her tenure, she concentrated on design, coordination, client relationships, and government liaisons. Her team leadership responsibilities included managing teams, schedules, and budgets, mentoring staff, and enhancing their design skills and efficiency. Her expertise also extended to consulting with top Chinese liquor producers on their industrial tourism projects.

Christian studied at the University of Stuttgart and at the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia. He has been successfully applying his many years of professional experience as an architect at the Ippolito Fleitz Group since 2009. From 2014 to 2019, he also passed on his knowledge as a lecturer at the University of Stuttgart.

Christian has almost two decades of professional experience in all work phases. He has been Studio Director Workplace since 2021 and specializes in working environments. With his expertise, he supports and accompanies our customers throughout the entire project process - from needs assessment and change management to commissioning and beyond. He is a team player, team organizer, coordinator and motivator and always has an open ear: for the special challenges of our customers as well as for current developments in the field.

With her profound experience in the conception and realization of brand spaces and in product design, Tilla aims to inspire people and set new ideas in their minds. Tilla’s impeccable eye for detail, her bringing together different disciplines in projects and her highly creative perspective on new assignments make for outstanding and unique results that drive brand appearances to new heights and qualities. Her engagement and passion for what she does, inspires our clients as much as her team and has led to long-term commitments from both sides. Integrating artistic interventions, developing new materials and production methods are her stronghold and lead the way to a new state-of-the-art standard.

Gunter Fleitz studied architecture in Stuttgart, Zurich and Bordeaux. His career began with Steidle+Partner in Munich, after which he project-managed the redevelopment of the federal court building in Leipzig with architectural firm Prof. Stübler. In 2002 he and Peter Ippolito founded Ippolito Fleitz Group, which the two of them have directed ever since. And in 2015 Peter Ippolito and Gunter Fleitz were the first German interior designers to be admitted to Interior Design magazine’s prestigious “Hall of Fame”. Gunter Fleitz is a member of the BDA Baden-Württemberg.

Peter Ippolito founded the Ippolito Fleitz Group together with Gunter Fleitz in 2002. Their mission is to create innovative, unique interior designs. Peter views interior design as a 360-degree exercise involving intangible factors that are semantically translated into space.The interior design must be accessible and appeal to all the senses. This can include experimental and artistic elements to create atmospheres that support the feeling of welcome and well-being while taking human dimensions into account. Peter's ambition is to venture into new projects that challenge him to draw on his experience and create new and unique spatial experiences never seen before. In 2015, Peter and Gunter were the first German interior designers to be inducted into the Interior Design Hall of Fame in New York.