User:RWEIACCD/Alexander "Sasha" Selipanov

Sasha Selipanov
Alexander Sasha Selipanov (born 1983) is a Russian automotive designer based in Ängelholm, Sweden, where he is currently the Chief Designer and Managing Director of RAW Design House. He is most renowned for his designs of luxury and high performance sports cars such as the Koenigsegg Gemera, Bugatti Vision Grand Turismo, Bugatti Chiron, Genesis Essentia, and Genesis Mint.

Early life and education
Selipanov was born in Tbilisi, Georgia in 1983 and moved to Moscow, Russia at the age of 9. His passion for cars arose from a car magazine that he saw as a child which ultimately fueled his dream of becoming a car designer. His parents fully supported the dream and it prompted his mother to send a letter to Ferrari asking where she should send her child to study car design. The answer was ArtCenter College of Design, where he would later earn his bachelor's degree after moving to Pasadena, California with the money his parents had saved up.

Career
Shortly after graduating, Selipanov found himself at Volkswagen Design Center in Potsdam, Germany where he worked on exterior designs throughout the entirety of Volkswagen's brands. In 2010, he made his contributions to the Huracán while with the Lamborghini design team in Sant'Agata Bolognese, Italy.

Bugatti (2014-2016)
In 2014, Selipanov was designated the role of Head of Design at Bugatti. In his time there, he played an essential role in the design of the Bugatti Chiron, showcased at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show, as well as the Bugatti Vision Grand Turismo concept, displayed at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show.

Genesis (2017-2019)
In 2017, Selipanov joined the Genesis team as Head of Global Advanced Design. Under this title, he led his team to completions of two concepts; Genesis Essentia (the brand's first battery electric vehicle that sports a carbon fiber monocoque) and Genesis Mint (a luxury, two-door electric city car).

Koenigsegg (2019-current)
Following his time at Genesis, Sasha reached out to Christian Von Koenigsegg to see if there were any opportunities for him at the Swedish automaker Koenigsegg. Fortunately, they welcomed him to the team, and he drove the design of the four-seater, Koenigsegg Gemera, to completion. This was a particularly iconic creation as hyper cars traditionally do not seat four. The design process was focused on creating a high performing car that can carry four passengers without compromising comfortability.