FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jean-Guy de Gabriac, Chair Career Development Initiative, [email protected] 
               

IN ITS THIRD YEAR
THE GLOBAL MENTORSHIP PROGRAM
APPOINTS NEW REGIONAL DIRECTORS & COUNTRY AMBASSADORS
AND LAUNCHES ONLINE MENTORSHIP PLATFORM

BRUSSELS, Belgium (March, 2017) – As one of the early Initiatives of the Global Wellness Institute (GWI), the Global Mentorship Program decided to address head-on the burning topic in the Spa, Wellness & Hospitability industry: the staffing crisis.

The Global Mentorship Program was created as a response to the 2012 GWI study “SPA MANAGEMENT WORKFORCE & EDUCATION: ADDRESSING MARKET GAPS”, showing the gap between the expansive job opportunities and lack of qualified candidates in the spa & wellness industry.  Researchers Ophelia Yeung & Katherine Johnston examined industry challenges, made recommendations to increase management talent pool and explored ways to spotlight the available job opportunities.

In the recently published “GLOBAL WELLNESS ECONOMY MONITOR” (GWI, January 2017), Yeung & Johnston concluded that, “…since 2013, spas added 237,424 jobs to the global economy. Projections for the Spa industry growth over the next 5 years indicate that there will be an estimated 2.8 million persons employed by spas in 2018 (1 million in Asia-Pacific ; 950,000 in Europe & 540,000 in North America). An additional 400,000 trained spa therapists and 70,000 experienced Spa managers/directors will be needed by the industry in 2020.”

Now in its third year of pro-bono operations, the Global Mentorship Program is spearheaded by a team of spa and wellness experts from around the world:

  • CHAIR & Regional Director EUROPE: Jean-Guy de GABRIAC – CEO of Tip Touch international
  • TREASURER & Regional Director MIDDLE EAST:  Shahida SIDDIQUE – CEO Altearah Bio
  • Regional Director AFRICA : Emmy STOLTZ – Owner Spa Fusion & board member South African Spa Association
  • Regional Director AUSTRALASIA: Kent RICHARDS – Corporate Operations Director Six Senses Hotels Resorts & Spas
  • NEW – Regional Director CANADA: Daryll NAIDU – Director of Spa – Miraj Hammam Spa by Caudalie,  Shangri-La Hotel & Member of the Board of Directors Spa Industry Association of Canada
  • NEW – Regional Director CENTRAL & SOUTH AMERICA: Emmanuel ARROYO – Regional Director of Wellness at Rosewood Hotel Group
  • NEW – Regional Director INDIA: Rekha CHAUDHARI – Owner & Managing Director JCKRC
  • NEW – Regional Director USA: Dawn TARDIF – Founder BodiScience Wellness Center & Spa & Member of the Board of Directors ISPA

Their commitment for the next two years in their respective region, includes supervising country Ambassadors, working with Associations, educational institutions and publications to spread the message about the Global Mentorship Platform.

The new online mentorship platform helps mentors & mentees connect within 10 minutes!

The Global Mentorship Program is the first-ever international program where seasoned Spa, Wellness (& now Hospitality) executives can give their time and share their expertise (Mentors) to guide Spa, Wellness & Hospitality professionals with potential (Mentees) for any of the many positions within the sector.

It is possible to hop on/hop off. The Global Mentorship Program offers the possibility to start a Mentorship relationship as Mentor: whenever you are available to guide & inspire or as Mentee: whenever you need to receive guidance in your career path, or want to become a better leader within your team or organization.

Ideally a Mentorship relationship lasts between 3 & 6 months, with a minimum of one 60-minute call between Mentor-Mentee every 2 weeks.

Finding the right match is easy and takes just 10 minutes, Mentors & Mentees log in, contribute their short bio, photo, rate their skills within the framework of 16 main skills outlined in the Body of Knowledge suggested by ISPA in 2013.

The search is based on the TOP 3 skills that Mentees want to develop. The result is a list of possible Mentors (with the best matches listed first) in their country, or across the world.

The mentorship relationships are guided and bound by a Code of Conduct, agreed to by the Mentor and Mentee, ensuring their interactions stay confidential. Mentees are asked to send their Mentor questions or topics prior to each connection, then follow-up with a recap after each connection. These items allow both Mentors and Mentees to have a clear picture of what was discussed, what actions were taken, and the progress made by the Mentee.

Leading French skin care brand Biologique Recherche has been our pioneer sponsor since 2015.

Leading Spa & Wellness manufacturer GHARIENI, along with Above Digital/SpaGenie, Altearah Bio, and TIP TOUCH also contribute to make this program accessible to all… free of charge.

Useful links:

Find more information about the Task force Members of the Global Career Development Initiative: /career-development
http://www.mentorshipevidence.com/
Facebook.com/GlobalWellnessMentorship

Global Mentorship Program

Country Ambassadors

2017- 2019
 

AFRICA:

  • KENYA: Lucy IMISON – Spa Manager Entim Sidai Wellness Sanctuary
  • NAMIBIA: Marinette KRITZINGER – Spa Manager Strand Hotel
  • SOUTH AFRICA: Dr Nadine de FREITAS – Editor Les Nouvelles Esthétiques /Executive Member South Africa Spa Association
  • SOUTH AFRICA: Taryn LILLEY – Spa Manager Cape Grace
  • SOUTH AFRICA: Corli SCHOEMAN – Spa Consultant/Distributor Niche

AUSTRAL-ASIA:

  • AUSTRALIA: Nicolette WIJERS – Wellness enthusiast and Hotel General Manager Six Senses Krabey Island
  • CHINA (Chengdu): Kelly COATES – Director of spa operations at The Temple House, Swire Hotels
  • FIJI : Debra SANDRANU – Spa Academy and Rejuvenation Centre
  • NEW ZEALAND: Michael CLARKE – Six Senses Fitness and Special Projects Director

EUROPE:

  • BELARUS: Yulia KOROLEVA – Vice-President Applied Aesthetics & Spa Association
  • CROATIA:  Mladenka NASTOVSKI, Corporate Spa Director LOSINJ HOTELS & VILLAS
  • CYPRUS: George TAVELIS – Managing Director Sanctum Spa & Fitness & President Cyprus Spa Association
  • GREECE: Dimitris OREOPOULOS – Owner & General Manager Uniteam Beauty
  • LATVIA: Alla SOKOLOVA – Founder & Managing Director Inbalans Group
  • LITHUANIA: Ina TURSIENE – Managing director ISPADO
  • NETHERLANDS: Annemarie L. WORTMAN – Owner of Consuming Passions  – Concept & Project Studio Health|Wellness|Hospitality
  • POLAND: Arkadiusz DAWIDOWSKI – Owner FORSPA & President European Spa Foundation
  • ROMANIA: Ioana MARIAN – Founder and CEO of despreSpa.ro and Spa & Wellness Magazine in Romania
  • RUSSIA: Elena BOGACHEVA – Founder & President Spa & Wellness International Council
  • SERBIA: Natasa RANITOVIC – EuropeSpa Expert & Consultant, president of Cluster Wellness Serbia
  • SPAIN: Cesar TEJEDOR – Founder & CEO Massage Around the World
  • SWITZERLAND: Larisa MARINICA – Spa Director Fairmont Montreux Palace
  • UNITED KINGDOM: Helena FIELD – General Manager, UK Spa Association ; Director & Founder Spa Pulse

INDIA:

  • Geeta MORAR – CEOSVA Spas and Salons
  • Dr Ranjan KAPOOR – Spa and Wellness Director at Six Senses Resorts and Spas
  • Alejandro LEO – Spa Director Grand Hyatt Goa
  • Gurpreet KAUR – Spa Director ITC Hotels Mumbai
  • Mahima SHARMA – Spa Director JW Marriott Hotel Mumbai Sahar
  • Dr. Harish KALATHI – Spa Director The Park Hotel

MIDDLE EAST:

  • JORDAN:  Andrew BARGE – Spa & Leisure Manager Marriott Hotels
  • LEBANON:  Kamal KHALIL – Director, Spa and Wellbeing at Resense Spa
  • UAE: Maria HAGGO – CEO Little Miss Wellness

CANADA, UNITED STATES of AMERICA, CENTRAL & SOUTH AMERICA: to be announced soon.