Major reorganisation at Conran consultancies

Massimo Acanfora joins this month as creative director of brands and products, a part of the business formerly known as Conran Studio and now brought under the Conran and Partners banner.

Acanfora who joins from Landor Milan where he was also creative director, replaces Emma Booty, who was creative director and managing director of Conran Studio, and has joined Saffron as creative director.  

The reorganisation began in April and at the top level of the company. Tim Bowder-Ridger who previously headed up Conran and Partners the architecture division, is now managing director of Conran and Partners in its new form.

Roger Mavity, who was chief executive of Conran Holdings, stood down from his role in April. His responsibilities have been taken over by Bowder-Ridger.

Last year Jasper Conran became chairman of the Conran Shop replacing his father Terence Conran who remains chairman of Conran and Partners as a whole.

The branding side of the business now deals with any digital or interactive work, which was previously covered by Conran Singh – a division which was headed up by Digit founder Daljit Singh, but disbanded in 2012. 

Conran and Company which works on licensed furniture and products has also been brought under the Conran and Partners banner.

A spokesman for Conran and Partners says that there have been no redundancies at the company. He says that the alignment of the businesses under the Conran and Partners banner has been spurred by client demand for more than one of the services offered by the Conran businesses on any one project, and that the newly aligned company offers easier access for clients.

Bowder-Ridger says, ‘Our clients have always appreciated our holistic approach to design. Many of our recent projects have succeeded thanks to a close collaboration between architects, brand and retail experts, interior and product designers – from the Boundary complex in Shoreditch and the recently-opened South Place Hotel to our reimagining of M&S’s Home department and our ongoing work to regenerate Centre Point tower.

‘As such, we are bringing our various design businesses together as Conran and Partners. Our work will continue to be driven by our core philosophy: that good design improves the quality of people’s lives.’