Judges
Vivienne Tang is the founder of wellness and travel platform Destination Deluxe. She has made a name for herself in the wellness and travel field, having worked for various reputable luxury magazines. She has spent 20 years in lifestyle publishing and was previously Editor of #legend, Editor-in-Chief of AsiaSpa, and held positions at Prestige Hong Kong and South China Morning Post. She was named one of Hong Kong’s “Top 10 Luxury Lifestyle Influencers” by Marketing Magazine.
Nigel Franklyn is The Spa Whisperer and is a unique visionary and veteran of the global luxury spa industry, renowned for his innovative approach to both concept development and wellness design. He is also the co-founder of MOSS Wellness Consultancy and MOSS of the Isles. He has spent 20 years working extensively around the world with some of the most iconic luxury properties in the industry, including Four Seasons, George V, Paris, The Siam, Bangkok and Aman Resorts. Recently, he headed the re-development of the Medical Wellness and Medical Aesthetics Centres at Clinique La Prairie, Switzerland. He re-energizes and redefines holistic practices by designing luxury destination “result retreats and programs”, fluidly incorporating increasing demands for both aesthetic results and emotional, transformative experiential spaces that are able to harness the benefits and advancements of science in an environment of mindfulness and wellbeing.
Sue Harmsworth is an inspirational and visionary leader who over the past 45 years has shaped the spa industry as we know it today. She founded the global brand ESPA in 1993 and sold it in 2017. Harmsworth has been responsible for the design of over 500 award-winning spas in 65 countries and creating products, treatments and wellbeing programs globally. She received the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) from the Queen of England for services to the spa and beauty industry, is a recipient of the International SPA Association Visionary Award, American Spa Industry Icon, Cosmetic Executive Women’s Achiever Award and sits on the Advisory Board of Global Wellness Summit, Global Wellness Institute and Forbes.
One of the few male spa writers in the world, Mark Smith is The Spa Man and has been writing about men’s grooming and beauty for over 20 years. Contributing Editor at European Spa magazine, he has written for Vogue, Tatler, The Daily Telegraph, AsiaSpa, Men’s Fitness and Destination Deluxe. Reviewing spas since 2007 he visits around 30 spas a year and regularly speaks about the male spa market. Based in London, he also works as a media consultant for beauty brands offering PR, marketing and social media support.
Juliet Kinsman is a journalist, hospitality expert and founding editor of Mr & Mrs Smith. Her consultancy Bouteco celebrates sustainable design-led hotels and helps luxury brands implement inspiring eco initiatives and positive impact partnerships. She is one of the advisors for the Luxury Spa Edit and has written about her time in Bali for Conde Nast Traveller through to Departures. As a freelance writer and Louis Vuitton City Guides author for London and New York, presenter of Hotels for 2 for the Discovery Channel and resident luxury expert on BBC Radio London, Kinsman has spent 25 years celebrating the world’s most special travel experiences and her design and travel articles appear in Elle Deco to The Guardian and the Evening Standard.
Susie Ellis is the co-founder, chairman and CEO of the Global Wellness Summit, now in its 13th year. She is also chairman and CEO of the nonprofit Global Wellness Institute, known for its pioneering research quoted around the world, wide-ranging initiatives, international roundtables, and wellnessevidence.com. She is the former president of Spafinder sits on numerous academic and industry boards and holds an MBA from UCLA.
Lucy Jackson Walsh is the co-founder and director of international tour operator Lightfoot Travel, who organize tailor-made holidays around the world for their discerning guests. She established Lightfoot Travel a decade ago, having worked in London in both business development and organizing private customized trips for high-net-worth individuals. Lucy is a veritable travel professional with 15 years of experience in the industry and family roots in Asia tracing back to the late 1800s.
Tracey Woodward is currently the director of Product Partnerships for Clean Beauty at Holland and Barret. Having worked within the Beauty Industry for over 30 years, Woodward has a wealth of spa, retail and beauty experience. She is a highly respected, experienced leader with a demonstrated history of working in the cosmetics and wellbeing industries; skilled in leadership, marketing management, retail, sales, spa and product development – an inspiring and motivational leader.
Born and raised in England, Alex Malcolm founded Jacada Travel in 2008. He was working in the travel industry in Rio de Janeiro when he realized that there was a market for a company that showed travelers the insider track and hidden gems that only locals know. He moved back to his native UK to put his plan into action. Latin America is Malcolm’s region of speciality. He lived in Brazil for several years and traveled extensively around South America, learning Portuguese and Spanish along the way. His favorite destination is Argentina, somewhere he says he could travel every year. Since its inception, Jacada Travel has grown from an idea to an international, pioneering luxury travel company specializing in Latin America, Africa, Asia, the Polar Regions, Australasia and Europe, with offices in London, Hong Kong, Santiago and Cape Town.
Kathryn Moore is an industry expert for 15 years with extensive knowledge of spa business. Her successes include negotiating complex commercial arrangements and conception and implementation of operating frameworks, standards and training programs. During her time with MSpa, Kathryn identified gaps in the industry and later formed Spa Connectors to address these, offering exclusive training programs, recruitment and business solutions. Kathryn is also the executive director of GCC’s leading B2B platform, Professional Beauty GCC.
Parineeta Sethi created a wellness revolution in India after having started AsiaSpa India 15 years ago when the concept of spa and wellness was in a nascent stage. She also launched her own magazine, Global Spa, and formed EMM India, which grew into India’s major luxury magazine company. She is set to launch WellnessMatters, a go-to site and e-commerce platform for all things wellness, be it wellness holidays across the world, spa and beauty products, wellness attire and food.
Johnny Chang, Founder and CEO of Spa Solutions Shanghai, is a popular strategist and has more than 25 years of experience in international hotel spas and imported spa product brands, successful branding and development experience in China. He acts as a bridge of East and West, offering all-round spa and product brand strategic business plans, development success consultancy and most in need training services to turn his clients’ passion into reality.
A Harvard-trained public health academic, Gerry Bodeker researches and advises on integrative medicine and wellness. He has researched and taught in medical sciences at Oxford University for two decades, is adjunct professor of epidemiology at Columbia University, and works with the private sector, governments and UN advising on culturally-themed wellness strategies. He has specialized in Asian traditions of medicine and healthy lifestyles, including the study of Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda. He has published widely, including the following books: The World Health Organization Global Atlas of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine; Public Health and Policy Perspectives on Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine; Understanding the Global Spa Industry; and Mental Wellness: Pathways, Evidence and Horizons. He currently serves as Chair of the Mental Wellness Initiative of the Global Wellness Institute and chairman of the Global Initiatives For Traditional Systems of Health (GIFTS of Health).
Barry White has over 25 years of global leadership experience in world-class luxury and lifestyle brands including Conrad Hotels, The Landmark Group, Langham Hospitality Group, Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts, Niccolo Hotels & Resorts and Galaxy Entertainment Group. His broad industry experience, in-depth hospitality spa and wellness expertise has been combined to amplify the success of the businesses he has led. Passionate about developing authentic, unique and innovative experiences, whilst ensuring sustainable commercial viability. He is best known for creating the globally award-winning spa brand Chuan Spa. He is the founder and managing director of White.
