The Art & Science Of Design As Seen By Frank Stephenson

The Art & Science Of Design As Seen By Frank Stephenson

Frank Stephenson talks about the influences of both art and science in car design, and design in general; he touches upon how these two elements have shaped his work throughout his illustrious career. Frank goes on to share his anticipations for the future of design.

Frank Stephenson is one of the world's most renowned and influential car designers today. He was born in Casablanca, Morocco. After growing up there, in Turkey and in Spain, he became a professional motocross racer, before moving to California to study automotive design. 

Frank began his professional design career in 1986 with Ford Motor Company and designed the iconic Ford Escort RS Cosworth, moving later to BMW Group where he designed the first BMW X5 and the award-winning New MINI. 

His next move was to Ferrari and Maserati, as their first ever Design Director. There he designed many supercars, including the Ferrari F430, the Ferrari FXX Super Enzo, the Maserati MC12 Stradale and the Maserati GranSport. 

He was then placed as Design Director for Fiat, Lancia and Alfa Romeo, where he was responsible also for the design of the new Fiat 500. 

Frank joined McLaren Automotive in 2008, creating a vanguard design studio and design team, and establishing a new and distinctive design language.

We, at MAXINE, have been pleased to share both a professional and personal relationship with Frank Stephenson - for more about Frank, take in the feature length documentary "Chasing Perfect" (released in 2019).

Susan B. Komen Flap: Corporate Responsibility In The Face Of Fanaticism

Ford created its Warriors in Pink campaign to, according to the company, “recognize the strength and courage it takes to deal with the everyday challenges of fighting breast cancer 365 days a year.” Caption & Image Credit: Ford Motor Company via lotpro.com

Susan G. Komen Flap: Corporate Responsibility In The Face Of Fanaticism

Tuesday of this week, the Susan G. Komen Foundation, the country’s largest breast cancer fund raising organization announced the withdrawal of donation financial support for Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion services organization.

Planned Parenthood affiliates received about $680,000 per year from the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Of the four million women who got breast exams through those clinics in the last five years, 70,000 were provided through the Foundation. Please note that Planned Parenthood performed 332,278 abortions over the last 365 days at a charge of about $500.00 per procedure … and operates from a $1,000,000,000.00 budget.

Immediately after the announcement Tuesday, the abortion rights group launched a program to make up for that lost funding. As of Wednesday afternoon, it had received $650,000 in donations, $250,000 of which came from oil tycoon Lee Fikes and his wife. Eric Ferrero, vice president for communications, said there’s been an “outpouring of support” from across the country.

Meanwhile, the Susan G. Komen Foundation — the Web site of which was hacked briefly late Wednesday — is under fire despite attempts to deflate the situation.

Multiple board members of the country’s largest breast cancer organization have resigned in the wake of the controversy. Dr. Kathy Plesser, a radiologist who sits on the New York chapter’s board, told the Huffington Post she was “disturbed” by the foundation’s decision. The executive director of the Los Angeles chapter also announced her resignation today, saying that her talents and skills no longer “fit their model.” And the foundation’s chief public health official, Mollie Williams, also reportedly resigned over the decision, though she has yet to confirm it.

Leaders of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation argue that their move was not political, but was spurred by a new criterion that bars them from giving money to organizations that are under investigation.

To be consistent, the Foundation should have stated that it was withdrawing support for Planned Parenthood because the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation is an organization that works for curing cancer to extend one's life.

The very beginning of life is even more important unless one wishes to make the assumption that if a female baby is not born, there is one less potential case of breast cancer to actually cure.

Ford Motor Company posted a statement of support to the fact the company would continue to donate charitable contributions to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation and its outreach funding efforts.

This excerpted and edited from Facebook -

Ford Motor Company
Thank you for your sharing your thoughts. While we can’t speculate or comment on the motives behind Susan G. Komen for the Cure’s decision, we do understand the emotional reaction it has caused. Rather than focus on the politics, we prefer to keep the focus on the need for women to get screened for and educated about breast cancer.
· · Share · 10 hours ago ·

Edmund Jenks
American corporate courage in the face of fanaticism ... twice.

Going it alone when the Government tried to seduce the business enterprise into a Government and Union take-over in decision-making through the offer of the public's money, and now standing behind a partner's courageous decision to withdraw financial support where the agendas of the two efforts seemed conflicted in the support of living a life.

Bravo!

When the Susan G. Komen Foundation for the Cure announced on Tuesday that it was revoking its grant to Planned Parenthood for breast cancer screenings, officials cited a new internal policy that makes any organization under official investigation ineligible for grant money. Image Credit: SGK Foundation

UPDATE:Komen Kaves!

This excerpted and edited from The Atlantic -

Susan G. Komen Reverses Course, Will Allow Planned Parenthood Funding
By Jeffrey Goldberg - Feb 3 2012, 11:41 AM ET 2

Facing a revolt among donors and supporters, Susan G. Komen For the Cure has just announced it has reversed its decision to de-fund Planned Parenthood.

One day, public relations scholars -- if such a species exists -- will make this week's events at the Susan G. Komen For the Cure foundation a case study in what not to do in a controversy.

Here is the Komen statement:

We want to apologize to the American public for recent decisions that cast doubt upon our commitment to our mission of saving women's lives.

The events of this week have been deeply unsettling for our supporters, partners and friends and all of us at Susan G. Komen. We have been distressed at the presumption that the changes made to our funding criteria were done for political reasons or to specifically penalize Planned Parenthood. They were not.

Our original desire was to fulfill our fiduciary duty to our donors by not funding grant applications made by organizations under investigation. We will amend the criteria to make clear that disqualifying investigations must be criminal and conclusive in nature and not political. That is what is right and fair.

Our only goal for our granting process is to support women and families in the fight against breast cancer. Amending our criteria will ensure that politics has no place in our grant process. We will continue to fund existing grants, The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation and its outreach funding efforts will now continue to donate money to an organization that has as its primary function is to stop life before it starts ... no female life, no breast cancer - DONE!those of Planned Parenthood, and preserve their eligibility to apply for future grants, while maintaining the ability of our affiliates to make funding decisions that meet the needs of their communities.

It is our hope and we believe it is time for everyone involved to pause, slow down and reflect on how grants can most effectively and directly be administered without controversies that hurt the cause of women. We urge everyone who has participated in this conversation across the country over the last few days to help us move past this issue. We do not want our mission marred or affected by politics - anyone's politics.

[Reference Here]

The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation and its outreach funding efforts will now continue to donate money to an organization that has as its primary money making function - is to stop life before it starts ... no female life, no breast cancer - DONE!

As for Ford Motor Company, their corporate image remains intact because the company never did cave in on fanatic pressure from any quarter - Federal Government or those who have little regard for the precious gift of life.