What are your pivotal career moments?
Failures are valuable lessons. For me, a sleep crisis at a tumultuous time led me to Rishikesh, India, to learn to meditate. That led to a silent retreat, which in turn opened the door to a new passion for wellbeing and writing a column in the Financial Times called Spa Junkie. I realised my dreams and have been in the industry for more than 15 years.
What industry innovations can you identify?
The greatest period of innovation is upon us, we are living it. Testing and diagnostic tools enable us to truly customise experiences. At-home testing, such as glucose trackers, will lead to more targeted and effective aftercare and create deeper, longer-term relationships between spas and clients.
There’s no denying the impact AI chatbots will have. However, I’m most excited about AI-assisted data analysis and screening in preventative health.
Plant medicine, including the use of psilocybin and ayahuasca, is becoming mainstream. Although still in the early stages of research and regulation, they show promise in addressing mental health challenges and promoting overall wellbeing.
What business models are the most exciting?
We’re seeing great success with fast beauty franchises and have started rolling out FaceGym in hotels worldwide.
On the other side of the coin, we’re co-designing human optimisation centres with some of the biggest scientists and innovators in the space. We’re taking age reversal technologies and longevity protocols and plugging them into uber high-end wellbeing clubs and hotel suites.
What do you still hope to accomplish?
I’m very excited about our new own-brand skincare, bodycare and hotel amenity division.
