Since launching in Australia, Cosentino has very rapidly established itself as a leader in mineral and ultra-compact surfaces as well as natural stone. Working at the helm of the company, as it rapidly grows into the Oceania region, must surely be an exciting proposition.

Enter Itay Shimony, Cosentino’s new vice-president of Oceania. Hailing from New York and now a committed Melburnian, Itay steps into the role of leader for the Oceania team at a pivotal time for Cosentino.

It recently opened its Cosentino City Centre in Sydney; its HybriQ+ technology is out in the world and setting new benchmarks in sustainable surfaces; and there is much growth forecast for the next five years.

Indesignlive speaks with Itay as he settles into his new role.

Tell us about the revolution in surfaces that Cosentino is bringing to the Oceania region?

Itay Shimony: I am excited to be building a team here in the Oceania region on the eve of a true revolution in the world of surfaces – and to be looking to achieve what no one else has done in this market.

Distributing our products to over 100 countries we shape and lead the world of mineral surfaces, ultra-compact surfaces and natural stone.

Specifically for the Oceania region, we are rolling out our globally unparalleled commitment to the health and safety of our fabricators and stone masons – investing in education, machinery and equipment to continue promoting best practices for the installation of our products.

Cosentino has also prioritised the evolution of our product and in the last five years we have developed the transformation from quartz to a mineral surfaces category, lowering the silica levels from 90 per cent to 50 per cent, or around 10 per cent across our products.

Cosentino has secured our product superiority with our HybriQ+ technology for the new Silestone that delivers the same high performance mechanical, aesthetic and endurance capabilities that we are world renowned for. But we’ve created an even more sustainable product with up to 60 per cent recycled materials, and made through a manufacturing process completely fuelled by renewable electric energy and reused water.

As you take up your role with Cosentino in Oceania, where will you base yourself?

Relocating from New York I have decided to base myself in Melbourne where we are planning our next Cosentino City Centre. I can’t wait to connect and collaborate with the outstanding design community here that I’ve followed very closely for some time now.

I am also looking forward to expanding and growing our team, resources and ecosystems for our customers across the whole of Oceania; improving our service to the architecture and design community, and growing our footprint with major developers.  

What makes Cosentino’s new Sydney centre a game-changer? 

It may not be well known, but Sydney and Singapore were the first selected cities to pilot the Cosentino City Centre – and with great success! It is not enough to make and supply a slab of material, you must be close to all aspects of the market and you must grow, evolve and tweak your service continuously.

This is why our commitment to creating hubs for designers and their clients to realise their dreams is so important.

Unique to the Sydney City Centre is the environment our team has created for designers to be able to develop their concepts. You will be seeing some really innovative events and activations in the coming months, now that we can safely welcome you back. 

What is your vision for Cosentino in Oceania for the next five years?

I was lucky to collaborate with Cosentino fairly early in the growth of the company in the 1990s. In a relatively short time Cosentino has grown into a company that turns over about USD1.5 billion, due in large to our commitment to constantly improving and making radical positive changes to the stone and surfaces industry.

I see this trajectory continuing well beyond the next five years. My dream is to see on our city skyline buildings clad with Dekton, with minimised glass usage, and being a part of the solution to minimise energy consumption in our future cities. 

A project that inspires me today is the 29-storey building, ToHa, by Ron Arad and Avner Yashar in Tel Aviv. Its unique faceted volume, shaped like an iceberg, is clad in 28,000-square-metres of Dekton in six custom colours. This creates a striking colour gradient from the bottom to the top – a truly stunning and innovative building.

Myself and our team look forward to working with the design industry to explore various applications, custom colours and finishes, and truly exceptional capabilities.

Cosentino
cosentino.com

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