AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH NICOLAS SOUCAILLE, GENERAL MANAGER OF BLACKLANE MIDDLE EAST

The Luxury Network UAE recently welcomed Blacklane as one of its newest members, and we were privileged to interview the General Manager of Blacklane Middle East, Nicolas Soucaille to get some insights about their business and services.

What is Blacklane, and what was the idea behind its establishment?

Blacklane’s global chauffeur service brings peace of mind to travelers moving through a fast-paced world. The crew’s dedication to safety, reliability and smart technology places Blacklane at the forefront of a new era of stress-free travel. Since 2017, the company has been carbon-neutral, combining a fivestar guest experience with care for the planet. Blacklane Middle East offers a variety of customized services with an all-electric fleet of luxurious Mercedes EQS vehicles and its own team of professional chauffeurs accredited through The Blacklane Chauffeur Training Academy. As we say, ‘enjoy the journey as much as the destination with Blacklane’.

What are the different services which Blacklane has to offer, and is it only for individuals, or does it have special services to offer for Businesses?

Blacklane offers hourly, daily, one-way, and return bookings, inter-Emirate transfers, and, of course, airport transfers. We’re not just for individuals – our B2B game is strong! Blacklane’s interface makes booking, invoicing, and managing accounts easier than ever for travelers and admins. Alongside 24/7 seamless access to a globally integrated concierge service, we offer real-time expense reporting and volume-based corporate rebates, making Blacklane the go-to transportation partner for businesses seeking an integrated solution to their expense systems.

Is Blacklane available globally, and are there any significant cities where Blacklane’s operation is more widely available as compared to other regions?

Blacklane’s biggest market currently is the US – followed by European cities – with our head Quarters in Berlin-Germany, and an additional six offices in Dubai, London, LA, NYC, Singapore, and Brisbane. We are proud to say that we are active in over 50 countries and 200 cities worldwide.

Which vehicles does Blacklane use as its fleet?

Globally, our fleet consists of the Mercedes S-Class and similar luxury vehicles. In Dubai, Blacklane is launching an all-electric fleet of top-of-the-range Mercedes EQS vehicles, guaranteeing maximum comfort, privacy, and luxury.

Adjustable, ventilated seats keep guests cool, while the in-chair massage function and ambient cabin lighting help set the mood. We plan to add electric SUVs towards the end of 2023 too.

Can you please tell us a bit about your Chauffeurs, and are there any specific criteria on which they are selected?

All Blacklane Chauffeurs are recruited ethically and with integrity and are invited to go through a series of interviews assessing their driving experience, and communication skills. If successful, they participate in The Chauffeur Training program presented by world-renowned Chauffeur Trainer Andi McCann to ensure the highest standards of service, safety, etiquette, and discretion. Finally, they are assessed at the end on theory and driving skills, if they pass, they receive accreditation.

On-going training is provided to all chauffeurs by Blacklane’s in-house specialist trainers recruited from the aviation industry. Our professional chauffeurs are backed by 24/7 concierge service – guaranteeing the best service available.

Blacklane’s chauffeurs are fully commercially licensed, offering peace of mind behind the wheel, and in the UAE only work for Blacklane, to secure the best talent available.

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Is Blacklane currently aligned on the path of sustainable travel and what are the future objectives or goals in regard to sustainability?

In 2017, Blacklane became the first ride service to offset the carbon emissions of all our rides worldwide, and we look to continue our highly ambitious sustainable initiatives. We offset our carbon emissions through our partner Southpole and support a wide range of climate causes, including The Climate Pledge, Solar Impulse Foundation, and Leaders for Climate Action. Our goal globally is to ensure that 75% of rides by 2025 are electric.

In the UAE, we have consciously selected an all-electric fleet to launch in Dubai to feed into the nation’s vision, aligning with the 2023 Year of Sustainability strategy and commitment to fulfilling its role as a global convener to support action and innovation in the field of sustainability.

As the General Manager of Blacklane Middle East, what is your vision and mission in regard to this region and how do you foresee the growth of your business in Dubai?

Our mission from a B2B perspective is to grow in the exciting events are working with hospitality and entertainment brands to providing luxury mobility solutions – we have already achieved great success with such stakeholders and look forward to developing this further.

For more information, please visit: www.blacklane.com

INTERVIEW WITH PETER LYNGDORF THE BOY WHO LOVED MUSIC AND TURNED HIS PASSIONS INTO A BUSINESS EMPIRE

Irecently had the opportunity to catch up with Mr Peter Lyngdorf, founder of Steinway Lyngdorf, during his visit to Singapore in January 2023.

Steinway Lyngdorf is dedicated to making the world’s best sound systems. With the opening of a new showroom at Millenia Walk #01-35 in Singapore by their distribution partner, AV One, AV One dedicated a new, stylish demo room for Steinway Lyngdorf, featuring a Dolby Atmos multichannel system with Steinway & Sons Model S-15 and the new Model A. AV One is selected as their distribution partner as they have similar values especially in their love for music and how they treat customers. Everyone who walks in the door of AV One is treated with the same respect and level of (and quality) in the service they provide for their customers. Apart from that, Mr Lyngdorf is of the opinion that AV One is highly professional and has an amazingly strong sales and marketing team.

Singapore is a natural market for Steinway Lyngdorf due the enormous amount of wealth – according to a report by HSBC Holdings Plc, more than 13 per cent of adults in Singapore will be worth more than US$1 million (S$1.38 million) by 2030 – potential customers will need a considerable amount of wealth to buy a Steinway Lyngdorf’s system and because of the fact that Singapore is a condense market – Mr Lyngdorf reckons that it is fine having just one “shop” for Steinway Lyngdorf.

As a person who overcame social norms, Mr Lyngdorf welcomes competition in a dense market like Singapore and “prefers” his products to be compared to other Audio Manufacturers. He believes that with competitions drive constant innovations and it keeps his team of engineers busy and engaged. Mr Lyngdorf, in fact, is passionate about making even better and higher quality products that the previous version his company has produced and shared with me an insider information that other than using the latest sound measurement technology, he has an area dedicated in his factory where he kept all his company’s past creations in a “sealed enclosure” which his engineers will refer to, to compare with any new creations to ensure that any new creations’ sound quality will surpass the previous ones which were the best they had ever made previously. Although till this day, Mr Lyngdorf will still personally listens to his top range products to ensure their quality.

In his quest to follow his passion, Mr Lyngdorf was almost expelled from his high school due to his low grades.

Mr Lyngdorf was hooked on music and sound at a young age of 10 in 1963 when he first heard the Beatles on the radio. At that time, there was only 1 radio station in Demark and it was only from 4pm to 5pm where the station will be playing pop music. I could resonate with him as the Beatles were one of my favourite band (other than ABBA) growing up as my mum (same generation as Mr Lyngdorf) will keep playing their music at home ever so often that I could recite some lyrics.

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Mr Lyngdorf was wow-ed and so intrigued by the Beatles’ music that, at that time, while he worked as a part time errand boy, he would save up to buy himself a tape recorder to record the Beatles so that he could listen to their music whenever he likes and not be restricted by the radio station’s pop music play schedule. His tape recorder had built-in small speakers but he wasn’t happy with it so he started building bigger and better speakers as he would like to listen to the Beatles on better sound quality and for as loud as he wished. As he got better each time, he started building speakers for his friends during his high school.

But Mr Lyngdorf’s dad wasn’t a fan of the Beatles or loud music. So at aged 15, Mr Lyngdorf decided to move out to live by himself so he could play and listen to music for as loud as he wished. He left his family and rented an apartment, although he still sees them once a week and was in good relations with them.

After graduating from high school, Mr Lyngdorf worked 3 weeks in Marketing and 3 weeks in Shipping before starting his own company making and selling Audio systems. To Mr Lyngdorf, that was “6 weeks of proper education” - that is, in shipping, marketing and advertising - well enough for him to run his own business.

Without any university degree as oppose to his competitors, Mr Lyngdorf attributes what is key to his successes is by doing things differently and humility. Mr Lyngdorf’s personal mantra; “Whenever you meet arrogance you should smell opportunity.”. He do not rest on his laurels but constantly challenges his team to keep innovating and “jump the fence where it is higher”. Mr Lyngdorf is keenly interested on improving the Audio technology and not too worried about next quarter results; it’s about moving technology to a different level and making better and not necessity cheaper products.

By aged 27, Mr Lyngdorf has quite a considerable business in the Scandinavian’s Hi-Fi Industry.

In 2006, Mr Lyngdorf sold a Lyngdorf system to a gentleman in Sweden who were so impressed that he called Mr Lyngdorf to share that this is the first time he heard the sound of a piano from a Hi-Fi system that sounded exactly like a piano and that the sound’s quality was so crystal clear that he could differentiate the different brands of pianos playing. That gentleman happened to know all the Top Management and Owners of Steinway & Sons and thought he should introduce them to Mr Lyngdorf as there could be opportunities to collaborate in some way or another. That was the start of how Steinway Lyngdorf was born.

This year, Mr Lyngdorf will celebrate the 15th Year Anniversary of Steinway Lyngdorf and the iconic Model D loudspeaker through the launch of a special Anniversary Edition. When asked about more details on the new edition, Mr Lyngdorf was tight-lipped about it however he shared that what he is able to reveal is that their flagship, iconic design will be maintained.

Mr Lyngdorf attributed his success to his strong company culture too, in that, it is all about the customer, all about quality and all about reliability. As he put it, every employee is “infused” with both core values; Customer Focus and Honesty –the driving force for Mr Lyngdorf’s empire. Mr Lyngdorf recalled during his younger days, he had encountered many dealers who were not honest with the customers, so he told himself if he were to start his own business, it will have to be a good company for the customers. All employees are expected to do the right thing when dealing with customers. This also means that the quality of every single products will have to be perfect. Product quality are not statistics in the company - it has to be 100% perfect or a total failure; every single product is for a person and he or she has to be a satisfied and happy customer. To Mr Lyngdorf, the production team are the most important people in the company while he is the least important as without a quality product, the sales team would not have been able to sell their products. Mr Lyngdorf do not like to feel important at all. After our catch up, he will be leaving Singapore for Bangkok, which he is looking forward to this trip; that is where he could truly be himself, wearing his shorts, t-shirt and slippers and go about his day. Mr Lyngdorf do not like to stay in a luxury hotel, even as he owns an apartment in the Four Seasons Residences Bangkok, he very much prefers to stay in local budget hotel to immerse himself in the local culture where he says, it in his words, “The Thai people are so humble and polite. When they serve you, they do so with all their heart without any agenda.” - Pretty much, the similar kind of culture, Mr Lyngdorf had instilled upon at Steinway Lyngdorf; “everything is for the customer”.

Mr Lyngdorf is thankful that he do not need to micro-manage his employees; they know that their products are good and that they are working with a company who has integrity as everyone are (expected to be) honest to the customers so they are proud of working for the company. It all started from the love for music and knowing that there’s an opportunity to improve things; with good people who are enthusiastic about doing the right thing, there’s no need to micro-manage.

Music is important because it helps evokes emotional responses and direct moods. It helps to immerse an audience to a world which the composer had wanted them to experience. If the sound quality is top-notch, it gives a fantastic amount of enjoyment that causes goosebumps. But designing a loud speaker to achieve high level quality sound is so much more complicated compared to designing a TV as there are only just 2 to 3 parameters that can be changed. For example, different acoustic within the space where the speaker is placed requires different parameters to be changed. Resolution that you hear with your ears is many times more than that of you see with your eyes. The amount of innovation opportunity, one can do for sound is tremendous.

Innovate and improve something, you get an even more pleasurable experience which is also what that keeps Mr Lyngdorf excited.

He recalled fondly of an email from a customer living in Sentosa Cove (one of the riches residential areas in Singapore) who had bought two systems; one of which was the biggest and most expensive Steinway Lyngdorf’s system - that customer wrote that he bought it because it made him look good in front of his friends due to the prestige for owning one but the real reason for writing to Mr Lyngdorf is to thank him for reminding him that he loves music.

One tip that Mr Lyngdorf have for all the music lovers out there; buy a good quality noise cancelling headphones and use it often; you never know when you can be exposed to loud sound that could damage your

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hearing. Mr Lyngdorf uses it very often, for example when he is driving (even when he drives a “quiet” luxury car), on the plane and especially if he is going to a concert. Mr Lyngdorf uses noise cancelling earplugs frequently for protection. With that, your earing is fresh and even if it is quiet, he guarantees that you will enjoy the quiet in a different way.

Interview conducted by Irene Ho, CEO, The Luxury Network Singapore