Ally Chong and Thorsten Lipfert have joined spa equipment supplier Gharieni Group in business development roles.

Chong has been named operations manager for Asia Pacific, while Lipfert is international business development manager for the brand.

“With Ally and Thorsten, we have won two experienced spa professionals to cover two important key positions,” said Sammy Gharieni, founder and CEO of Gharieni Group. “While Thorsten will focus on the European market, Ally will manage operations for the Asia Pacific market.”

Based in Hong Kong, Chong has more than 14 years’ experience in hotel operations and spa development, and has worked for the corporate teams at Dream Cruises and Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group.

Lipfert began his career as a spa director in Portugal, and worked for six years at the Kempinski Marbella before taking over as ESPA spa director at the Fairmont Baku Azerbaijan.

Based in Marbella, Spain, and fluent in Spanish, German and English, Lipfert will give particular focus to overseeing the growth of Gharieni in Spain and Latin America. He is trained as a physical therapist, and will also support Gharieni’s training programmes for the Gharieni Quartz Table and the Wellness Massage 4D.

“I’m very excited to take over this new role,” said Lipfert. “With my expertise in hotel and spa operations, I’m looking forward to supporting Gharieni clients and helping them achieve the most success with their products.”

Gharieni Group manufactures spa tables, treatment beds and equipment for resort spas, wellness centres, aesthetic practices and medical offices.