Image

PROFILES

Ils sont artiste, cheffe étoilée, designer ou apiculteur, pilote automobile ou créatrice de mode. Leur point commun ? Ces personnalités glamour ou au cœur de la vie culturelle, économique et sociale régionale sont les moteurs de l’actualité azuréenne. Découvrez sans filtre le témoignage de leur parcours, leurs rêves, leurs ambitions et leurs projets à venir.

May 2023

Daniela Boutsen

“Word of mouth is our strongest ally”

This German-born entrepreneur has lived in Monaco for 25 years and developed her business internationally in a highly specialised sector: aircraft interior design and decoration, before expanding into yachting and residential.

Image
@DR
Image
@DR Intérieurs d'avions privés ou de yachts, résidences de luxe...Daniela Boutsen mène tous ses projets avec une équipe composée à 80 % de femmes.
Image
© Christopher Scholey

International Prize

I am self-taught,” Daniela Boutsen says confidently. I grew up in Berlin during the time of the Wall, in the American occupation zone, and I felt very hemmed in. My family couldn’t afford to send me to Paris or London to study. So, I started my career at KPM, the oldest porcelain manufacturer in Europe. I spent two and a half years learning about accounting, marketing, and business – all the different activities within a company – and I loved watching just how skilful the workshop could be. This experience has served me well all my life.” When she arrived in the Principality, this Berliner founded Boutsen Aviation in 1997 with her husband, Thierry Boutsen, a former F1 driver. The company specialises in the purchase and sale of private aircraft. “I was given the opportunity to decorate an Airbus for the Republic of Azerbaijan State Government, which gave me the idea of starting my own private aircraft decoration business. It’s a very specialised field, a highly regulated technical area, which ensures the safety of air passengers during take-off and landing. Aviation is a small world, and pilots know each other. We soon became very successful. While decorating his Boeing, a client asked me if I could also take care of his 80-metre boat and his home in Spain. As a result, we took a 360-degree approach to developing our activities that cover decoration and interior design too.”

 

“Solidarity between us”

“I’m naturally creative and passionate about living spaces and tableware. I like combining colours, materials, and shapes. I’m very proud to be able to do this kind of work and that our customers recommend us to their friends,” continues Daniela Boutsen, who manages an 80% female team in her business. Although this entrepreneur has worked internationally for some of the great Heads of State in Malaysia, Canada, and the United States, the Sultan of Brunei, the Emir of Qatar, and the King of Thailand, what she likes about the FCE’s Monegasque delegation chaired by Johanna Houdrouge, is the spirit of solidarity: «I find learning about each other’s working methods, discussing any problems we may have and what solutions we can come up with together very rewarding. It helps us to improve and move things forward in our respective areas

 

Boutsen Design SAS

The company initially specialised in interior design and aircraft decoration before diversifying its activity by venturing into the yachting and luxury residential sectors. ‘’What makes me unique is not having a style, which allows me to be open to my interlocutors’ expectations,” says Daniela Boutsen. ‘’One client wanted an aircraft with décor inspired by the Place of Versailles, and we did just that. A Danish client asked for a Scandinavian style, and a Chinese client wanted a highly natural atmosphere with environmentally friendly materials. This broad spectrum is our strength.” The company’s skills pool means it can handle all project stages, from initial design to final customer delivery.

 

Création : 2012

Localisation : Nice

Activité : Commerce de détail de meubles

Dirigeante : Daniela Boutsen

Effectifs : 21 salariés 

Share

+ de portraits