Our speakers
Robert Salmon - Former Vice president of l'Oréal (special guest)
Dr. Franz Linser CEO Linser & Partner Consulting
Is Founder and Managing Partner of Linser & Partner Consulting GmbH, an Austrian based management consultancy. Linser & Partner is specialized in health tourism and health related spa projects. It offers strategic consultancy services, developing effective and profitable lifestyle concepts. With its professional team of exercise physiologists, physicians, economists and architects Linser & Partner develop unique lifestyle programs in motivating yet functional surroundings. With its professional background the team know how to bring down state-of-the-art scientific knowledge to practical lifestyle strategies, all of which in an inspiring spa atmosphere.
Prior to his fifteen years in the spa industry, Franz was lecturing science of sport at Innsbruck University and successfully trained the Austrian National Ski Team. As a Member of the European Parliament, Franz brought his vast health and tourism related expertise also into politics. He established the first Austrian Wellness Cluster with more than 60 companies of the spa industry. With his profound analytic capacities and holistic approach to wellness Franz is a sought after speaker in conferences worldwide.
Monica RISENIUS - Managing Directon RAISON d’ETRE
Monica has over 18 years of experience in the Wellbeing and Hospitability industry. Starting her career path as a Chemistry Engineer the calling to work with people overtook and further studies including Chinese medicine and Management made way into the wellness industry.
Monica’s drive for constant personal growth saw her take on challenging projects for health clubs, hotels and spas, as well as a local municipality where, she was responsible for increasing wellbeing through physical training and health care activities. Her success lies in her ability to effectively communicate with people and form strong working relationships. In 2004, Monica joined Raison d’Etre and successfully applied her skills, knowledge and extensive education to various spa projects that included the spa openings for Taj Exotica Mauritius, Four Seasons Doha and Istanbul. Today, as Managing Director of Raison d’Etre, Monica applies her conceptual, operational, personnel and management know-how to the running and development of new projects around the world.
Clare Guss-West – Holistic Operations Advisor – Six Senses Paris
Holistic Well Being & Performing Arts, Business Development: Extensive international career spanning the performing arts, well being and business development: professional dancer, choreographer, International opera director, managing director ‘hands-on’ well being practitioner, teacher, author and public speaker.
Ex-Managing Director Six Senses Spas – Europe Middle East and Africa Region – responsible for the business expansion of the Brand in the region through negotiation and concept and design of new spa projects.
Now Returning to “Hands On” Holistic Practice and Research. Holistic teaching specialty the principals of Chi Kung (‘Energy Work’) and own movement theory published in “The Energy Source” - energy, breath, visualizations and intention and how they work in the body to greatest effect in performance and in the healing process. This innovative preparatory work was recognized with a Laurence Olivier Award nomination for outstanding achievement in Opera. From its musical beginnings at English National Opera, Clare has developed this Energy teaching for many different applications: from visualization and healing with the elderly, to well being support for ballet dancers, performance enhancement for opera singers and musicians, to personal development and awareness training for executive leadership skills
Brigitte Bünder spa manager Park Hotel Weggis, Swizerland
Brigitte Bünder has been graduated in massages, cosmetics and medical cosmetics and has worked for more than 21 years in the spa industry. She started her career with two own beauty salons in Lucerne and Basel. Thereupon she got the opportunity to establish they beauty department at the Hotel Therme Vals and to manage it as well. In 2003, still there, she began to cooperate with the Swiss dermatologist Dr. Harald Gerny und became four years later the responsible of one of his Med Beauty centres, the one of the Park Hotel Weggis. The secret of Brigitte Bünder’s success is her talent in dealing with people and her distinctive quality awareness. Hence, it is not surprising that she got promoted to be team leader of the whole wellness area of the five-star superior hotel, composed of the Sparkling Wellness including styling and beauty salon Hair & Beauty and the Med Beauty centre.
Delphine Duffours Director of Spa Caudalie Vinothérapie
Pierre David Architecte
After teaching for 8 years at the Versailles National High School of Landscape Architecture, he is now teaching landscape projects at the Harvard University, Cambridge and on architectural projects at the Columbia University of New York, as well as in many other American universities: Berkeley, Milwaukee, Ames Iowa, Rice, etc.
In France, he has been teaching at the School of Architecture in Clermont-Ferrand and Marseille and presently, at the National High School of Architecture of Paris-Malaquais.
In 2003 he received the award for the New York World Trade Centre Memorial contest. Chosen among more than 6800 projects, “Garden of Light” received national and international press coverage.
Founding partner of the David & Lampros, the agency carries out projects for both individual house as well as urban and territorial. For the sake of articulating architecture and landscape, the agency coordinates architects and landscapers for the construction of two urban plots at Evry Centre. She is also an Engineer for the construction of two buildings, one of which is a dwelling tower, for the purpose of rebuilding a crowded city in response to the diffuse city which makes inefficient use of space. He is also involved in the construction of a spa in Place Vendôme in collaboration with Patrick Blanc, designer of vegetal walls.
He is an UNDP (United Nation Development Program) expert for the territorial development projects of the two sacred cities of Islam: Mecca and Medina.
Jean-Guy de Gabriac
Jean-Guy de Gabriac's personal and professional attitude is summed up in a simple phrase : "keep growing" !
As a Spa Consultant Jean-Guy started working for cosmetic brands, thalassotherapies, thermal centers and spas since 2001, specializing in creating new value-added treatments on the menus. He heps his clients not simply achieve the state of being wellness or healing centers, but also PROFIT centers thanks to very operational Spa Management and Spa Makerting seminars.
Anna Jarinova, Directeur du Mandarin Oriental Spa in Prague
Anna Jarinova, Spa Director of Mandarin Oriental Spa, Prague has worked in the business for 10 years and has always been dedicated and passionate about spas and wellness. Together with her hands on expertise in Spa and a Master Degree in Tourism and Hospitality, Anna has successfully led The Willow Stream Spa at The Fairmont Acapulco Princess and currently The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Prague to become one of the leaders in the spa business.
Anna commenced her spa journey as boutique supervisor at the renowned Willow Stream Spa, as boutique supervisor where she have developed strong believe in Spa retail as a part of the spa experience for each client. During her 5 years with Willow Stream Spa she was promoted to Spa Operations Manager and Assistant Spa Director to Spa Director and she got evolved in the world of healing, mediation and alternative therapies, as well basic operational needs or successful spa. In 2008 she joined Mandarin Oriental Spa team and continued to be a recognized authority on the spa industry, the evolving spa consumer, and spa-related health, wellness, beauty, fitness and lifestyle trends.
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has established itself at the forefront of the spa industry, leading some of the most advanced facilities and treatment programs available to spa-goers today, including signature holistic treatments, award-winning spa design and an acclaimed signature spa line.
Manfred Kalcher CEO Hotel Balanced Resort Stegersbach
Austrian born Manfred Kalcher spent the last 28 years in top management positions of leading national and international 5* hotels and resorts. After returning home from managing hotels for Hyatt International in Asia for close to 10 years, he was hired in 2003 by institutional investors to develop and manage a Golf & Spa Resort in Stegersbach, a quaint little town south of Vienna.
Kalcher opened in April 2005 and positioned the hotel as upmarket 5* lifestyle resort with dominant focus on wellness/spa and golf. The facilities include a 2600 sqm Spa, 50 holes of golf, 141 rooms with 30 suites, 3 restaurants, bar, vinothek, cigar lounge and meeting facilities for 200 pers.
The testers of the prestigious independent “Relax Guide 2010” awarded the hotel both in 2009 and 2010 the maximum of 20/20 points, attributed to only 4 Austrian and 1 German spa & wellness hotels out of 1900 hotels listed. In Austria “everybody” knows the Balance Resort Stegersbach.
Sarah NOBLE CEO SPA SAAVY
Sarah Noble has opened many award winning spas for luxury hotels – for Four Seasons, Taj hotels, Chiva Som, Rosewood, Kempinski and many more. She was previously the Chairwoman for the British Complementary medicine Association, and is now a judge for the national business awards, and The Spa Excellence awards UK and Europe.
She lectures widely on anti aging medicine, and wellness programmes for executives.She has opened wellness spas in Asia for 7 years, and currently is an independent consultant advising investors and doctors how to open wellness centres and medi spas.
Sarah is consulted as an international expert in the field of health & wellness programmes, and putting strategy & business systems in place to maximise profits from underperforming spas.
Our partners on the round tables
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Jocelyne SIBUET |
GHISLAIN WAEYAERT |
