The Gstaad Guy Podcast

The Gstaad Guy sits down with Ariane Gorin, CEO of Expedia Group, and one of the few people running a company of that scale who was once told plainly that her ambition would make her unhireable, to explore what it takes to hold your nerve when the quality that makes you good is read as a threat. With a career built across Berkeley, Paris, London and Seattle, Ariane reflects on adapting to a culture that will not adapt to you, betting on yourself when a room has already decided what you are, and the quieter work of knowing what...

The Gstaad Guy sits down with Devon DeJardin, the visual artist working across painting, drawing and sculpture, whose Guardian figures have travelled from a friend’s apartment floor in North Hollywood to private collections and the cover of a number one album. Devon had never picked up a brush. He had a world religion degree, five hundred dollars to his name, a mattress he folded into a laundry closet each morning and a stack of unsold jackets when a stranger in Indiana paid him a hundred dollars for a ten minute phone call to tell him he was meant to...

The Gstaad Guy sits down with Emily Oberg, founder and CEO of Sporty & Rich, who turned a Tumblr mood board into one of the most imitated brands in fashion. Before the store on Place des Lices in Saint Tropez, before Selfridges, Lacoste, Hôtel du Cap and Le Bristol, there were twenty sweatshirts she packed and posted herself. Ten years on, she is clear that the stretch in between is the part nobody films, and that the day during lockdown when a single drop did fifteen times its usual figure only reads as a beginning because the decade in f...

The Gstaad Guy sits down with Oliver Barker, chairman of Sotheby’s Europe and the man on the rostrum for many of the largest sales in the world, to explore what thirty two years at the same house teaches you about objects and the people who love them. Oliver joined as an unpaid intern in 1993 after Christie’s turned him down, and reflects on a career built on one unplanned afternoon, an eye trained by looking rather than reading, and the conviction that the greatest auctions are celebrations of culture rather than transactions.

The conversation gets into how...

The Gstaad Guy sits down with Gary Vaynerchuk, chairman of VaynerX and founder and CEO of VeeFriends, to explore what two decades of watching attention move has taught him about people. Gary built a career on seeing platforms before anyone else took them seriously, and reflects on a trajectory defined by conviction, self awareness, and a willingness to say the thing nobody in the room wants to hear, including about himself.

The conversation gets into what he actually feels in rooms full of the one percent, why the loudest critics in someone’s life rarely deserve the au...

The Gstaad Guy sits down with Harry Stebbings, founder of 20VC and one of the most prolific investors and podcasters in Europe, to explore what separates the people who say they want it from the people who genuinely cannot do anything else. Harry started a podcast from his bedroom at seventeen with no university and no network, built it into an audience of millions and a fund with around a billion dollars under management, and reflects on a career defined by seeing early that media would become venture capital's real differentiator.

The conversation gets into the specific...

The Gstaad Guy sits down with Éric Martel, CEO of Bombardier, at the company's completion centre in Montreal with the Global 8000 behind them, to explore how a snowmobile inventor from a small Quebec town became the foundation of one of the world's great aerospace companies. Éric reflects on a career that began on the factory floor and a company whose defining trait is a willingness to take on things it has never done before, from building metro cars without ever having built a train to inventing the regional jet.

The conversation gets into what actually separates one ai...

The Gstaad Guy sits down with Ted Gushue, founder of ERG Media and Editor-in-Chief of Type 7, who publishes hand bound books in the most digital era in history. Having once declared print dead and been proved comprehensively wrong, Ted has built a career around people who care too much about one thing, on the conviction that making something for two thousand obsessives beats selling fifty thousand copies to the indifferent.

The conversation gets into where taste comes from and why the objects people love say more about them than anything they say out loud. Ted is candid...

In a reversal of the usual format, Alex Ikonn, founder of Intelligent Change, turns the microphone on The Gstaad Guy to explore what actually constitutes a life well lived. From repeating a private joke among college friends to a video that circulated by WhatsApp through Gstaad, Monaco, Aspen and New York, The Gstaad Guy traces a path he describes as entrepreneurial rather than creative: not an artist waiting to be heard, but someone watching for the one thing that worked well enough to run behind.

The conversation gets into why he spent two years nurturing the character...

The Gstaad Guy sits down with David Grutman, founder of Groot Hospitality and the man many consider to hold the keys to Miami, to explore what it really takes to build places people never want to leave. From working the door to opening Komodo in a space his own friends called dead on arrival, David reflects on a career defined by reading people, spotting trends before they surface, and the conviction that the real reward is not the money but the look on someone's face after a great night. The conversation gets into why festive beats formal in a...

The Gstaad Guy sits down with Edgar Bronfman Jr, former CEO of Warner Music Group, and now co-founder of the venture firm Waverley Capital, to explore what it takes to back your own judgement when almost nobody around you agrees with it. From producing his first film at sixteen to running a family business he eventually sold at the top of the market, Edgar reflects on a career defined by early conviction, an instinct for where value was moving before others saw it, and the belief that it does not matter who got you in the door, only what...

The Gstaad Guy sits down with Silvio Campara, CEO of Golden Goose and one of the most unconventional operators in luxury, to explore what it really takes to build a brand that people feel they belong to rather than simply buy from. From joining a small Venetian sneaker company to leading one of the most recognisable names in the industry, Silvio reflects on a career defined by instinct over convention, an obsession with the people behind the product, and the conviction that imperfection is a position of strength rather than a compromise.

The conversation gets into why...

The Gstaad Guy sits down with Rampa, producer, DJ and entrepreneur, to explore what happens when the thing you made becomes bigger than you are. Sixteen years on from a shared basement studio and a dream of never going back to the car wash, Rampa reflects on the strange arithmetic of scale: waking up one day with the tickets sold and the visibility earned and no real idea how to hold it, and discovering that most of the people far more famous than him feel exactly the same way.

The conversation gets into what skate culture taught...

The Gstaad Guy sits down with Jack Goldburg, founder of Jack's Dining Room & and Yes Chef Group, whose videos have been watched billions of times and whose food festivals now sell out in a couple of Instagram posts, to explore what separates a viral moment from a business that survives it. From editing until 3am while still employed at PwC to a chance conversation with a stranger at the next table, Jack reflects on a rise built on tunnel vision, a refusal to say anything negative about a restaurant, and the conviction that going viral has never been the...

The Gstaad Guy sits down with Henry Cookson, the polar record holder turned founder of Cookson Adventures, to explore what actually constitutes a life well spent. Henry left a prime brokerage desk at Goldman Sachs with no cold weather experience, entered a race to the magnetic North Pole against Arctic warfare instructors and Everest veterans, and won it. He went on to lead the first team in history to reach the Southern Pole of Inaccessibility using human power alone, and built a company designing frontier expeditions for people with the means to fund science while they travel.

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The Gstaad Guy sits down with Danny Yeung, co-founder and CEO of IM8 and one of Asia's most accomplished serial entrepreneurs, to explore what it truly means to identify a gap in human health and build a best-in-class product to fill it. From founding Prenetics to partnering with David Beckham, Danny reflects on a career defined by hands-on execution, an instinct for opportunity, and the conviction that most people are massively underinvesting in their own foundation of health. The conversation gets into what longevity really means beyond the buzzword, why the word supplement fails to capture what IM8 is...

The Gstaad Guy sits down with Charlotte and Peter Fiell, the design historians, authors and curators behind Taschen's Ultimate Collector series, to explore what separates objects that endure from objects that end up as decoration. Across 35 years and a body of work that includes 1000 Chairs and an 11 kilo, 200,000 word volume on watches, the Fiells reflect on a career spent among the world's greatest collections, and on a publishing brief that has never changed: create the best book there has ever been on the subject.

The conversation moves from the psychology of collecting and the specific neurotype the...

The Gstaad Guy sits down with Matteo Franceschetti, co-founder and CEO of Eight Sleep, the company that has quietly become one of the most powerful sleep labs in the world, to explore what happens when Silicon Valley obsession meets the most underinvested area of human health. From his early days as a fitness-obsessed entrepreneur to building a medical-grade platform trusted by everyone from elite athletes to Formula One drivers, Matteo reflects on the vision, data, and relentless focus on performance that made Eight Sleep impossible to ignore. The conversation gets into the science of temperature cycles, what a billion...

The Gstaad Guy sits down with Jade and Grant Goulden, the siblings behind Jaded London, the boundary-pushing fashion brand that has built a devoted global following by moving at the speed of culture and refusing to wait for permission, to explore what it truly means to turn instinct into a business. From running operations on WhatsApp to personally delivering clothes to Kylie Jenner, theirs is a story of agility, nerve, and an unwavering focus on product above everything else.

The conversation gets into what it means to identify a trend before it has a name, why trust...

The Gstaad Guy sits down with Vito Cinque, owner of Il San Pietro di Positano, one of the most beloved and enduring family-run hotels on the Amalfi Coast, to explore what it truly means to build a place where guests do not just return, they belong. Rooted in a deep love for the region, its produce, and its people, Vito reflects on a life shaped by the belief that doing what you love, and doing it with complete sincerity, is the only philosophy worth running a business on. The conversation moves through the meaning of family in both the...

The Gstaad Guy sits down with Aaron Levant, CEO of Complex and one of the most conviction-driven figures in modern media and culture, to explore what it truly means to build something at the intersection of taste, access, and community. From the early days of street culture to architecting ComplexCon into one of the most distinctive live experiences in the world, Aaron reflects on a career built not on following trends but on understanding them before anyone else does.

The conversation gets into the art of thinking laterally, why being a generalist in a world of specialists...

The Gstaad Guy sits down with Jens Grede, co-founder and CEO of SKIMS and one of the most instinctive brand builders of his generation, to explore what it means to connect products with culture in a way that feels both inevitable and enduring. From his Swedish upbringing and the philosophy of lagom to a career that has taken him from Mr Porter to FRAME to one of the most talked-about consumer brands in the world, Jens reflects on a professional life built on honesty, minimalism, and an obsession with getting the product right.

The conversation moves through...

The Gstaad Guy sits down with Anna Nash, President of Explora Journeys, the ultra-luxury ocean travel brand rewriting what it means to experience the sea, to explore what happens when the finest hotel sensibility meets the freedom of open water. From the legacy of seafaring that runs through the MSC family business to the guest-centric philosophy that shapes every detail on board, Anna reflects on the vision, curiosity, and conviction required to challenge an entire industry's perception of itself.

The conversation gets into why the stigma around cruising has persisted for so long and what it genuinely...

The Gstaad Guy sits down with Marianna Hewitt, co-founder of Summer Fridays and one of the earliest and most instinctive voices to emerge from the first wave of Instagram and lifestyle blogging, to explore what it truly takes to turn cultural momentum into something that endures. From her early days in fashion to becoming a first mover in the content creator space, Marianna reflects on the decisions, values, and relentless consistency that laid the foundation for one of skincare's most beloved modern brands.

The conversation gets into the thinking behind Summer Fridays, why great skincare should never...

The Gstaad Guy sits down with Enrico Buonocore, Founder and CEO of Buonocore Hospitality Group, and Alessandra Maestroni, Group Strategy Manager, the founders behind Langosteria, Milan's most quietly coveted restaurant and one of the defining expressions of contemporary Italian hospitality, to explore what it truly means to build something extraordinary without a plan, guided entirely by vision, instinct, and an uncompromising sense of what feels right. Partners in business and in life, they reflect on the rare alchemy of working alongside someone who shares both your values and your ambitions.

The conversation moves through the philosophy that...

The Gstaad Guy sits down with Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser, Chairman and CEO of Bentley Motors, to explore what it means to lead one of the world's most iconic luxury brands at a moment when heritage and innovation are being asked to coexist more urgently than ever. The conversation opens with something genuinely rare: The Chalet Edition Bentley Bentayga by The Gstaad Guy, a collaboration that captures what happens when two distinct visions of mountain living and automotive excellence find common ground.

From a childhood obsession with cars to a career forged in the high-pressure world of motorsports...

The Gstaad Guy sits down with Imran Amed, founder and CEO of The Business of Fashion, the platform that fundamentally changed how the fashion industry understands and talks about itself, to explore what it truly takes to bet on a calling when everything rational tells you otherwise. From journaling as a child to consulting at McKinsey, Imran traces the long and winding road that led him to build one of the most influential media businesses of his generation.

The conversation covers the early days of stretching himself thin across multiple jobs just to keep the dream alive...

The Gstaad Guy sits down with Simon Kidston, one of the most respected figures in the classic car world, a dealer, collector, and writer whose life has been shaped by an unwavering obsession with the machines that defined an era, to explore what it truly means to turn a passion into a life's work. Raised across cultures and educated in the Swiss Alps, Simon reflects on the upbringing that sharpened his eye, deepened his taste, and drew him inevitably towards the world of rare and extraordinary automobiles.

The conversation moves through the philosophy of collecting, the singular...

The Gstaad Guy sits down with Riccardo Pozzoli, founder of Hyle Consulting and one of Italy's most respected voices at the intersection of brand building, creativity, and entrepreneurship, to explore what it truly means to build a meaningful life without losing yourself in the process. From his years at Luxottica to his role as creative director of Persol, Riccardo reflects on a career shaped by constant challenge, creative ambition, and the quiet discipline of knowing when to pivot.

The conversation moves through the realities of raising a family while running a business, the tradeoffs that every ambitious...

The Gstaad Guy sits down with Matt Friend, the comedian, actor, and impressionist who has built a devoted following by turning razor-sharp observation into some of the most entertaining content online and on stage, to explore what it truly means to make people laugh in a world that takes itself far too seriously. From discovering comedy to performing in front of live crowds, Matt reflects on the craft, the nerve, and the instinct required to land a joke in any room, for any audience.

The conversation moves through the journey from online skits to major stages, the...

The Gstaad Guy sits down with Charles Rosier, co-founder & CEO of Augustinus Bader, the biotech skincare brand that brought revolutionary stem cell science out of the medical world and into the hands of consumers, to explore what it truly takes to build something extraordinary from the edge of the impossible. From a dramatic change in career path to navigating near bankruptcy, Charles reflects on the determination, sacrifice, and quiet self-belief that kept the vision alive when almost nothing else did.

The conversation moves through the science behind the brand, the challenge of democratising skincare without compromising its...

The Gstaad Guy sits down with Endo Kazutoshi, one of the most revered third-generation sushi masters in the world, to explore a life shaped by inherited craft, quiet discipline, and an unwavering devotion to the guest. From a destiny that was never forced upon him yet always seemed inevitable, Endo reflects on what it means to carry a family tradition forward while finding his own voice within it, and how the loss of his father deepened his understanding of what this craft truly demands.

The conversation moves through the philosophy of omakase, the art of reading a...

The Gstaad Guy sits down with Simon de Pury, founder of de PURY, former chairman and chief auctioneer of Phillips de Pury & Company, former Europe chairman and chief auctioneer of Sotheby's, and former curator of the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection, to explore a life lived entirely in pursuit of beauty, curiosity, and the extraordinary. Raised on Swiss values and drawn to galleries and collectors from a young age, Simon reflects on how a deep obsession with art, music, and human connection shaped a career at the very centre of the global art world.

The conversation moves through the philosophy...

The Gstaad Guy sits down with PROFF, the man behind the AskOkey universe, a former JP Morgan investment banker turned tailor, blogger, and one of the most quietly compelling voices in men's style, to explore what it truly means to dress with intention and live with purpose. From the boardroom to the cutting table, PROFF reflects on a life shaped by reinvention, resilience, and the profound relationship between how we dress and how we carry ourselves.

The conversation ventures into the philosophy beneath the cloth: the stoicism that steadies him, the desire to grow that drives him...

The Gstaad The Gstaad Guy sits down with Björn Frantzen, the Swedish chef and restaurateur who holds nine Michelin stars across three separate restaurants, making him the only chef in the world to simultaneously manage three three-Michelin-starred establishments, to explore what it truly means to pursue excellence in the kitchen and beyond. From a football injury that rerouted his entire life to earning some of the most coveted accolades in gastronomy, Björn reflects on the discipline, creativity, and relentless hard work that transformed a passion for food into a world-class institution.

The conversation explores the co...

The Gstaad Guy sits down with Simon Cohen, the South African-born, Australian-raised entrepreneur behind Cohen Handler, the buyer's agency that turned a gap in the market into a movement, to explore what it truly takes to build something original in an industry resistant to change. From discovering real estate to flipping the traditional agent model on its head, Simon reflects on the drive, honesty, and relentless problem-solving that transformed a bold idea into one of Australia's most trusted property firms.

The conversation ventures into the lessons only life can teach, taking risks before you're ready, earning client...

The Gstaad Guy sits down with Elie Saab Jr., CEO and Vice Chairman of Elie Saab Group, to explore how a family vision rooted in haute couture grew into one of the world’s most recognisable luxury houses. Reflecting on the inception of the brand and the influence of his father, Elie Saab, Elie Saab Jr. shares how family values, Middle Eastern roots, and an upbringing centred on groundedness and resilience shaped his approach to leadership. From curiosity and ambition to grit and the desire to succeed, he discusses the mindset required to step into a legacy business while ca...

The Gstaad Guy sits down with Tony Kelly, the Irish fine art photographer and director known for his vivid, cinematic imagery that blurs the line between fantasy and reality. From early days as a press photographer covering conflict in Afghanistan to developing a distinctive visual language built around colour, atmosphere, and playful storytelling, Tony reflects on how photography became an instinct rather than a technique. He shares how mentorship, relentless practice, and the right creative environments helped shape a style that prioritises original ideas and emotional impact over imitation or status.

The conversation explores the power of...

The Gstaad Guy sits down with Philippe Zuber, CEO of Kerzner International, to explore how modern luxury hospitality is evolving from hotel stays into fully immersive destinations. As the driving force behind brands such as One&Only, Atlantis, SIRO, and Rare Finds, Philippe shares how unlocking extraordinary locations and designing once-in-a-lifetime experiences requires both discipline and imagination. From selecting destinations to shaping brand emotion and storytelling, he reflects on what it takes to define the future while preserving exclusivity, privacy, and trust.

The conversation dives into the shifting expectations of a multi-generational, highly discerning clientele and why...

The Gstaad Guy sits down with Philippe Zuber, CEO of Kerzner International, to explore how modern luxury hospitality is evolving from hotel stays into fully immersive destinations. As the driving force behind brands such as One&Only, Atlantis, SIRO, and Rare Finds, Philippe shares how unlocking extraordinary locations and designing once-in-a-lifetime experiences requires both discipline and imagination. From selecting destinations to shaping brand emotion and storytelling, he reflects on what it takes to define the future while preserving exclusivity, privacy, and trust.

The conversation dives into the shifting expectations of a multi-generational, highly discerning clientele and why...