Our 2018 speakers
Roger Allen
Group CEO – Resources for Leisure Assets – USA – Autria- UAE
For more than 20 years, Roger has been working on multiple levels of project development in the hospitality and leisure industries, developing a singular expertise in wellbeing asset management and the complexity of project planning through to delivery and operations.
Roger is the Founder and Group CEO of Resources for Leisure Assets (RLA) a recognized global advisory to owners, developers and management companies in wellbeing hospitality®, specializing in hotels, resorts, residential, mixed-use, healthcare, active living communities and health tourism developments.
RLA works closely with investors, developers and project stakeholders across four continents from its offices in Sonoma – USA, Vienna – Austria and Dubai – UAE to provide conceptual planning, financial analysis and asset management of wellbeing hospitality® investments.
He previously held senior management positions with such multinational companies in Europe, United States and Asia. He is a former partner at Horwath HTL Consulting in Hungary & Russia, the leading international hospitality consultancy in Central and Eastern Europe, Russia and CIS countries with a focus on planning, development, asset management and operational advisory services. Roger was a co-author contributor to the book ‘Hotel & Resorts Valuation – An Investor’s Guide’ and is a member of the International Society of Hospitality Consultants.
Roger brings a no-nonsense approach and outspoken views on how wellbeing investments within hospitality should add value to real estate and deliver a measurable ROI.
Beata Aleksandrowicz
Creator – Pure Massage Spa Training Method® – UK
Beata Aleksandrowicz is an expert on massage and healing and the creator of the Pure Massage Spa Training Method® which provides spas worldwide with advanced training in a modern concept of massage.
She is contributing to the Mental Wellness Initiative for The Global Wellness Institute and is one of the judges for the World Spa&Wellness Awards. Among her recent projects are Dormy Spa House – Cotswalds UK, Amilla Fushi – Maldives, Finolhu Spa and Resort – Maldives, Hufaven Fushi – Maldives, The Lanesborough Club @ Spa – London UK.
Martin Rhomberg
Regional Vice President and General Manager – The Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues – Switzerland
“My focus was always on providing quality service, and when I looked around, Four Seasons was the one company in the luxury segment that was engaging guests the way I always wanted” – but instead the company offered him a slot as opening Food and Beverage Director at another property in South America. “They wanted to see if I could perform within their corporate culture. I took the offer without hesitation.”
Eight years later, he was appointed General Manager in Damascus. And three years after that, in spring 2011, he opened the company’s first Russian address in St. Petersburg.
Now settled into Switzerland, Rhomberg is excited to be leading one of the most important properties in Four Seasons global portfolio while also savouring his 2017 promotion to Regional Vice President. “This is a high performing asset with a dedicated customer base not unlike that of Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris,” he says, noting the ability of the Geneva hotel to generate revenues and gain a bigger share of the pie on the local hospitality scene. “What I love best here is being in the lobby watching the guests come in to dine and stay. The arrival experience is very special – just like home.”
Thomas Bauer
COO – VAMED Vitality World Directeur général – Austria- Vienna
Thomas Bauer is since 8 years COO at VAMED Vitality World, which was founded in 2006 as a separate business division within the VAMED Group and is the umbrella brand in regards to h9 hot spring- and health resorts in Austria and Hungary.
In his former career Thomas worked internationally in the US and EMEA for Hilton, Marriott and InterContinental before he returned to Austria to join the international market leader VAMED, headquartered in Vienna.
Thomas is married and proud Dad of 4 daughters and his greatest passion is supporting guests and colleagues to become and stay happy. For him, as he states it: I have the greatest job on earth, since I am in the « happiness business »!
Tracey Woodward
Global CEO – Aromatherapy Associates – UK – London
Tracey Woodward is the Global CEO of Aromatherapy Associates and Executive Board Member of CEW, non-profit professional organization in United Kingdom bringing together more than 1,000 members from the beauty industry and related fields. Former Business Developer for Beauty & Service for Marks&Spencer , Tracey has a wealth of spa, retails and beauty experience build over last 30 years.
Zoe Douglas
Spa Manager – The Dormy House Spa – UK
Zoe Douglas looks back at 18 successful years in the Luxury Spa and Wellness Industry, having worked with companies such as Six Senses, W Hotels and the prestigious Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland. She now manages the Multi Award Winning Dormy House Spa based in the Cotswolds in the UK and has done so for the past 4 years.
2017 saw an incredible year for Dormy House and Zoe herself, winning the prestigious Black Diamond Award (Forum HOTel&SPA 2017), Small Luxury Hotels, Hotel of the Year and Conde Naste Best Hotel Spa. Zoe continues to bring a wealth of operational experience to the industry, she constantly strives to develop her team in order to ensure an immaculate guest journey.
Caroline Mahe-Lea
Director – Thalasso Concarneau – France – Concarneau
Coming from the hotel industry, she worked in Paris in the up-scale market and luxury hotel sector on a national and international level in the marketing department. Later, she made some personal life decisions which left her no choice but to leave Paris and its hectic life to return back to her native land in Brittany. It was on this occasion that she was able to experience the benefits of thalassotherapy in a renowned establishment. Since then, she has not left the well-being sector, and it is within the Thalgo group that she has been able to develop new management and positioning skills in the exclusive world of French thalassotherapy.
László Puczko
Director of Industry Intelligence – Resources for Leisure Asset – Austria – USA
László Puczko is an internationally acknowledged expert in the health, wellness and medical travel and tourism arenas. As an economist specializing in tourism. He is a frequent presenter at international professional and academic conferences addressing such topics as performance benchmarks, competitive product development, the role of travel in wellbeing and product conceptualization. He is a trainer of marketing and product development at both location and destination levels.
Didier Le Calvez
Vice-President – Ré-Consulting – France
The Method of Doctor Elkin relates an alternative medicine, professing a philosophical approach to understanding of human health. To combat weight and the problem of aging, the Method ensures close coordination and cooperation of specialists with the patient using a holistic approach.
“Restoring vitality” according to “Yumeiho” therapy, which has been practiced for already 10 years by Dr. Elkin, almost instantly leads to an improvement of work of internal organs, the establishment of internal biorhythms of the person, the overall recovery and, accordingly, the rejuvenation of the body.
Complex work with a patient leads to improvement not only of his physical, but also psychological state: a positive attitude helps to get more energy and pleasure from every moment of one’s existence, to harmoniously combine successes in work, personal and family life.
Leonid A. Elkin
Director of Dr. Elkin’s Wellness Center – Russia
The Method of Doctor Elkin relates an alternative medicine, professing a philosophical approach to understanding of human health. To combat weight and the problem of aging, the Method ensures close coordination and cooperation of specialists with the patient using a holistic approach.
“Restoring vitality” according to “Yumeiho” therapy, which has been practiced for already 10 years by Dr. Elkin, almost instantly leads to an improvement of work of internal organs, the establishment of internal biorhythms of the person, the overall recovery and, accordingly, the rejuvenation of the body.
Complex work with a patient leads to improvement not only of his physical, but also psychological state: a positive attitude helps to get more energy and pleasure from every moment of one’s existence, to harmoniously combine successes in work, personal and family life.
Jean-Guy de Gabriac
CEO TIP TOUCH, award-winning Spa-Wellness advisor & educator
Designs best-selling Signature massages ; enhances Guest experience with the “HOW of WOW!” ; and chairs the Global Career Development Initiative (Global Wellness Institute).