Meet Regina Kurbos – Manager Corporate Design Creations at Daimler AG. We talked to her about her career and key learnings, the study programme “Transportation Design” and why women are underrepresented, how mobility will change in the future and why she likes to escape in winter by going on ski tours. 

1. After working as an interior designer for BMW and in various freelance projects in the USA for two years, you came back to Germany and changed your field of work from creation to strategy. So, looking back on your career what has been your key learning during this shift? Do you miss the creation of cars?

Car design is a highly specialised field – a very cool one I pursued since I was a teenager. But therefore also a quite narrow niche. So, after working with huge pleasure and gratitude as a car designer for several years, I became hungry to look beyond what I slowly started to perceive as a “golden cage“.
It is common sense that living in different societies for at least some years adds to your inspiration pool and broadens your horizon. I think, this is true for professions as well. Make boundaries shift, look in depth into neighboring fields.
Venturing into design strategy and communication let me assume more responsibilities and, as obvious as invaluable, widen my network.
Admittedly, I sometimes do miss hands-on creation of cars but gained so much more – and “creation of cars” interpreted in a wider way is still the case. I love cars and my workaday life is still all about cars.

2. The study programme ‘Transportation Design’ in Pforzheim is – as the industry – a male dominated area. For numerous years you worked as a lecturer for design management and branding. In your opinion what is the reason for having fewer female students in this program and how could it be changed?

It is changing already – during my own transportation design studies at Pforzheim university, there was about one female student every two years. While teaching it became much more diverse, particularly in the Master course, also regarding nationalities. And that would be what I’d aim for. Diversity not limited to gender. Any (design) team will gain advantage in mutual inspiration, the more diverse the cultural background of people is. And from an individual point of view: passion is key to drive a change, dare to follow your talent.

3. Since end of last year, you work as Manager Corporate Design Creations for Daimler. Before you were responsible for executive communication for smart. What does your new position include?

Classical Corporate Design for the parent company Daimler AG but also any corporate creations beyond – speeches and appearances of our chairman need creative input. Even more so with things getting more and more virtual, a fascinating development which gained a lot of momentum this year. And my personal mission: getting rid of silos, make teams interact as much as possible.

4. Ski touring is one of your favourite means of transport in winter. Since when are you passionate about it? In contrast to that how looks your daily use of mobility? 

Thanks to my parents’ sporty lifestyle, I startet skiing right away when I learned to walk – and ever since with growing skill and passion. Probably the most beautiful sight to me: snow covered mountains. And the tickling point is: in quiet. No man-made surrounding, no noise, just me an a pair of  broad free-ride skies, ideally in deep powder (cliché but so true).
For endurance, my daily mobility involves a lot of jogging. For efficiency in daily commutes in Stuttgart I do depend on my car: Taking my little daughter to day-care and reach my office (well, increasing share of home office lately).

5. In your former position as Manager for Smart Communications you received a great inside and knowledge about the vision of future mobility. In your opinion what do we have to expect? What will change?

Peoples attitude will change – and it has to as a shift to alternative energy sources or means of transportation will not be made by political orders or offers alone. The trigger is very much in our minds. I am convinced that the desire for attractive individual transport will not fade. People will still want to own great cars. To facilitate this around the world for growing customer bases, cars become more efficient. That means electric but does not negate combustions engines. Many forms of propulsion will co-exist, tailored to specific scenarios. While, of course, every single option will (and must) become continuously more efficient. Plus: '“electric“ is not limited to battery-electric.

And the +1 question from Regina to you: “Think of electrically driven cars’ quietness. Would you as a driver or passenger appreciate silence as an aspect of luxury?”

– Yes, if it is combined with the ‘swoosh’ of your freeride gliding through fresh powder (via Instagram)

Pictures: Regina Kurbos
Interview: Jill Eickholt