About GSS

  • Research Reports

    The Global Spa Summit team has developed a comprehensive list of spa, wellness, and related industry research projects, organized by geographical location. View

  • Education Programs

    Since the skilled labor shortage was identified as an important issues on the minds of delegates, the GSS has aggregated a list of spa training and management programs available around the world. View

  • Spa Associations

    Through a directory of spa, wellness, and related industry associations around the world, the GSS aims to connect spa and wellness industry professionals on an international level. View

  • Publications

    Looking to stay up-to-date on trade and consumer industry news? Peruse this list of spa and wellness publications, which include magazines, journals, and books. View

Board Members

For several years, this illustrious group of business leaders has worked to make the Global Spa Summit a reality.

Emanuel Berger

Founder, Berger Hospitality Management GmbH, Switzerland

An expert in luxury hotel management, Mr. Berger serves as a board member for a number of hotel companies and organizations, including the Ecole Hôtelière Lausanne, in addition to providing management and consulting for hotels, spas, luxury goods and event management companies through Berger Hospitality Management.

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Anna Bjurstam

Managing Director, Raison d'Etre, Sweden

Anna Bjurstam has always been dedicated to wellness and has worked in the business for 19 years. Together with her hands-on expertise in wellness and a master's degree in business, Ms. Bjurstam has successfully led Raison d'Etre Spas to become one of the leaders in the spa business.

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Dr. Marc Cohen

Professor, RMIT University, Australia

Professor Marc Cohen is currently the Foundation Professor of Complementary Medicine at RMIT University, president of the Australasian Integrative Medicine Association. He is a medical doctor with degrees in Western medicine, physiology, and psychological medicine and PhDs in both Chinese medicine and biomedical engineering.

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Richard Dusseau

Cofounder & CEO, Spa Strategy, USA

Richard Dusseau is the cofounder and CEO of Spa Strategy, Inc. Mr. Dusseau has built the company from a regional firm into one of the most sought-after international consultancies, with over 200 spa projects in 30 countries around the world.

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Pete Ellis

Chairman & CEO, SpaFinder, Inc, USA

Pete Ellis, chairman and CEO of SpaFinder, Inc., has been a leading business innovator since the mid-1970s. In 1994–95, Ellis launched the first automotive buying and research website, Autobytel.com. After taking Autobytel public in 1999, Ellis formed Jubilee Investments, which became the majority shareholder in SpaFinder. Under Ellis’s leadership SpaFinder has become the world’s largest spa marketing and media company. His Internet technology innovations are part of the Permanent Research Collection at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.

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Susie Ellis

President, SpaFinder, Inc, USA

Recognized as a driving force behind the transformation of the spa industry from a narrow market sector to the mega-industry it is today, Susie Ellis, president of SpaFinder, Inc., leads the world’s largest spa media and marketing company. She is a respected analyst of the global spa, wellness, and beauty industries. Author of SpaFinder’s annual “Spa Trends Forecast,” Ellis began her career at the highly regarded Golden Door in California.

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Andrew Gibson

Group Director of Spas, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, Hong Kong

Mr. Gibson has been appointed to lead and manage the global activities of Mandarin Oriental’s internationally acclaimed luxury spa division. He is a well-known and respected spa professional with 25 years of luxury and diversified hotel and leisure services experience.

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Susan Harmsworth

Founder & CEO, ESPA International, United Kingdom

As chief executive and founder of ESPA International, Ms. Harmsworth has revolutionized the luxury spa world from its very inception and ignited a new era in spas of distinction. Since its debut in 1993, ESPA swiftly became the world's premier, fully integrated spa company; enjoying international acclaim, numerous accolades, and a sophisticated, devoted spa following from the media and international traveler alike.

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Jeff Matthews

President & COO, Mandara Spas, Indonesia

Jeff Matthews is president and COO of Mandara Spa, one of the world's largest resort spa management companies, with more than 75 spas worldwide. Born in Canada, Mr. Matthews holds a business management degree and has more than 20 years' experience in the hospitality industry with international chains such as Four Seasons and Hilton Hotels throughout the Middle East, Australia, Canada, and Indonesia. He lives in Bali and travels extensively throughout Asia, the Pacific, and the Middle East.

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Anne McCall Wilson

Vice President, Spas, Fairmont Raffles Hotels International Inc., Canada

Anne McCall Wilson, Vice President, Spas, is in the enviable position of having a passion for her job. A hotel and marketing background spanning 20 years, combined with her personal interest in well-being have made her the driving force behind the creation of the Willow Stream Spa brand for Fairmont Hotels & Resorts.

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Professor Mary Tabacchi, PhD

Associate Professor, Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, USA

Professor Mary Tabacchi, PhD, RD, has been active in the spa industry since the early 1980s, when Alex and Deborah Szekely persuaded her to work with the Golden Door and Rancho La Puerta. She created a strong prototype for spa research at the request of the International Spa Association in the early 1990s, the Destination Spa Group, and the Leading Spas of Canada in 2000-2004. Dr. Tabacchi has been teaching spa management and development at Cornell University's Hospitality Management program since 1985.