THE designer of some of Aston Martin's most iconic brands will return to Teesside University as part of its 'In Conversation' events.

Marek Reichman, now Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer, Aston Martin Lagonda, returns to the university’s Middlesbrough campus on Thursday, June 22 to reflect on his career since graduating from Teesside with a degree in industrial design in 1989.

Sheffield-born Marek went on to study vehicle design at the Royal College of Art in London, starting his design career with Rover Cars in 1991.

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Marek moved on to BMW Designworks in California in 1995, before joining Ford in 1999 as chief designer for the company’s Ford and Lincoln Mercury brands, rising to the position of Director of Design for Product at Ford North America.

He joined Aston Martin as Director of Design in 2005.

Marek has designed some of Aston Martin’s most iconic brands, including the Rapide S, the Vanquish, and the DB11.

He has also been involved with some of the world’s most quintessential cars throughout his accomplished design career.

These have included the Rolls-Royce Phantom, the Lincoln MKX and Navicross Concept Cars and the Range Rover Mk lll.

He maintained his links with Teesside University, receiving his first honorary Master of Science degree in 2006, followed by an honorary Doctorate in Professional Achievement in 2010, in recognition of his considerable achievement and impact in industry.

Teesside University’s series of In Conversation events are open to members of the public, as well as University staff and students, offering the audience an opportunity to gain insight into the lives and careers of our special guests.

In Conversation guests have included rugby legend Rory Underwood, best-selling author Adele Parks MBE, and media publishing veteran Dominic Carter.

Lauren Bradshaw, deputy director in communications and development at Teesside University, said: "Marek is known across the world for his work with iconic brands and is a fantastic ambassador for us here at Teesside University.

"Having him with us for this final instalment of the In Conversation series will bring an exciting close to a very successful first set of events.

"We’ve really enjoyed hosting this first series of In Conversation, which has given us the opportunity to open up the University to a wider audience and has allowed us to share and celebrate fascinating stories from our wider Teesside network.

"Welcoming members of the public to our campus and connecting them with global industry leaders from across the worlds of sport, culture, and business has been really rewarding, and we look forward to further engagement with our local communities as we launch our second series of events in the autumn."

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Marek Reichman will be In Conversation from 6.30pm to 8.30pm on Thursday, June 22 in the University’s Students’ Union building.

Tickets are £5, with a £4 early bird rate before May 26.

Students can also claim a discount using the code ‘TUStudent’ when booking and by bringing their student ID to the event.

Book a place here