Born in 1971, Lešnik was passionate about design even when he was a small boy. He would often draw various technical objects in school. But despite this talent, his repeated applications to the School of Fine Arts and Design in Ljubljana were unsuccessful. Instead, Lešnik decided to pursue his higher education in Germany, despite speaking no German. He eventually learned the language and graduated from the Pforzheim University of Applied Sciences.

When he interned at Volkswagen, his superiors quickly realized that he was an outstanding car designer -- and he was offered a full-time job at the Wolfsburg-based car manufacturer. While employed by the company, he designed the exterior of the 2005 Volkswagen Passat, which became an international bestseller. He also spent time in the U.S., where he obtained first-hand knowledge of the American market.

Lešnik later joined Kia Motors and then Mercedes-Benz, where he became the chief designer of automobile exteriors. He designed cars in the Prestigious C and S Classes, as well as the company’s SUVs. He headed a team that was determined to give the previously disparate Mercedes models a more unified look with sleek, elegant lines. So far, several dozen new models have been based on his designs.

At a ceremony in 2016, Robert Lešnik, the man who had been rejected from Slovenia’s top design school, was named the Slovenian Designer of the Year.