Luxury Summit 2025

Philipp Plein started his entrepreneurial journey by selling dog beds—today, he’s running a global fashion empire. Born in Munich and raised in Nuremberg, he founded his namesake brand in 1998. What began with luxury furniture soon evolved into one of the world’s most talked-about fashion labels. Known for bold designs and a fearless entrepreneurial spirit, Plein has grown his business across fashion, footwear, watches and lifestyle. Now, he’s setting his sights on the next vertical: hotels.

Felicitas Morhart is Full Professor of Marketing at the University of Lausanne and Founder of the Swiss Center for Luxury Research. Her teaching and research centers on identity-based branding, brand authenticity, luxury consumption, and alternative status signals. Her research has been published in top national and international journals. She also advises and trains managers mainly in the luxury and premium industries (mainly financial, automotive and hospitality) on the topic of transformational change. In 2022, she co-founded OriginALLuxury, a multistakeholder initiative for traceability technologies in the luxury industries.

Farhad Vladi is a pioneer in the niche market of private islands. Born in Germany with Iranian roots, he founded Vladi Private Islands in 1971, establishing himself as the world’s leading broker for exclusive island real estate. Over the decades, he has sold more than 2,000 islands across the globe, working with high-profile clients and shaping the industry. Beyond business, Vladi is a passionate collector of antique maps and a published author on the subject. His expertise and eye for rare properties have made him a key figure in the world of luxury real estate.

Dr. Sarasin is the Director of the Department of Precision Medicine at The Kusnacht Practice and the founder of the proprietary Biomolecular Restoration (BIO-R®) Method, which she developed to enhance the personalisation of treatment programmes. She leads a multidisciplinary team of doctors and longevity medicine experts, overseeing the creation and implementation of highly personalised treatment plans. These combine advanced diagnostics, biotechnology, innovative longevity therapies, and tailored lifestyle interventions focused on physical activity, nutrition, stress management, and sleep.

She oversees the development of age-reversing treatment protocols at The Kusnacht Practice, where she collaborates closely with the clinic’s medical and psychiatric teams. With over 20 years of experience in longevity medicine, nutrition, and new habit building, Dr. Sarasin brings substantial expertise to address the complex health needs of UHNWIs. She obtained her doctoral degree in pharmacology and toxicology from the University of Zurich, as well as postgraduate studies in human nutrition from ETH Zurich. Dr. Sarasin has also completed numerous additional trainings and certifications in nutritional and orthomolecular medicine, longevity and preventive medicine. Recognised as an aspirational leader in the longevity industry, Dr. Sarasin is frequently invited to share her insights and knowledge at conferences.

Yann Marois is passionate about building brands that matter. A strategist at heart, he has spent the past two decades shaping global brands and crafting memorable consumer experiences. Since 2019, he has been leading brand strategy, creative and design at Philip Morris International (PMI), where he helped redefine the tobacco and nicotine category with smoke-free products like IQOS, PMI’s global flagship brand. Together with his team, he is scaling new brands such as VEEV, LIL, and ZYN, driving PMI’s ambition to replace every cigarette for adult smokers who don’t quit. Before joining PMI, Marois held senior leadership roles at Bacardi as CMO of Grey Goose Vodka and at the Estée Lauder Companies.

German-born, Bravo earned a degree in Communication from the University of Bonn and began his professional career in broadcasting and digital communication. He joined the Volkswagen Group in 2011, starting with SEAT in Barcelona. In 2014, he moved to Porsche, in the Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen office, first as spokesperson for product communication and a year later as PR manager of Porsche Latin America in Miami, up to his appointment in 2018 as Head of Communications at Bugatti. In 2021, he joined Automobili Lamborghini in his current role of Communications Director.

Gzim Hasani worked at Julius Bär and Credit Suisse for ten years, focusing on premium clients and Ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWI). Since 2019, he's CEO and Partner at smzh ag, an independent financial advisor with 150 employees in Switzerland.

Dirk Jacobs is a strategic marketing leader with close to 20 years of experience at the crossroads of fashion, action sports, and luxury. He spent over a decade at VF Corporation, where he led creative and marketing teams across EMEA and played a key role in the company’s digital transformation efforts. His recent move into the hospitality sector reflects a broader view of brand building, applying the same principles of cultural relevance, identity, and long-term value to new industries. Today, Dirk is leading the rejuvenation strategy for St. Moritz, repositioning the iconic Alpine destination for a new generation of travelers. In parallel, he works as an advisor, supporting Outdoor, Heritage, and Luxury brands as they navigate shifting consumer expectations through digital innovation, storytelling, and experiential design.

Federico Ziviani is the CEO of Gerald Charles, the Swiss high-end watch brand founded by legendary designer Gérald Genta in 2000. Since taking the helm in 2019, Ziviani has redefined the brand’s direction with a focus on digital growth and community building. Under his leadership, Gerald Charles expanded production from 100 to 1,500 timepieces per year, established a global footprint, and opened a dedicated atelier in Geneva—positioning the brand as a rising force in the world of independent Swiss watchmaking.