GSWS appoints two new board members
The Global Spa & Wellness Summit (GSWS) has appointed tourism industry expert Jean-Claude Baumgarten and Mexican businesswoman Gina Diez Barroso de Franklin to its board of directors.
Baumgarten is a former long-term president and chief executive of the World Travel & Tourism Council. Also chairman and chief executive of management consultancy Crewe Associates, his extensive past experience in the travel and tourism industry includes a series of executive positions for Air France over a 30-year period.
Baumgarten said his interest in the spa and wellness has grown significantly over the course of his career. “Because of my long involvement in the tourism industry, I have over the years become increasingly interested in the surge for wellbeing, in the travel category and beyond,” he said. “What the GSWS has achieved so far is outstanding, and I'm excited to help shape this dynamic organisation as it takes its next steps and expands its reach.”
Diez Barroso de Franklin had headed up Mexico’s Group Diarq since establishing it in 1990. Growing from a real estate company to a multi-market business that now incorporates nine subsidiaries and more than 500 employees, the company operates in fields ranging from education and publishing to media and design. She has also spearheaded the establishment of a number of non-profit organisations.
Diez Barroso de Franklin said she believed her outside-the-industry perspective would be an asset to the board. “I’m sure my knowledge of creative studies and innovation can help the GSWS have a different view, and aid in the development and growth of this amazing project,” she said. She added that “being part of the GSWS is a huge responsibility for me.”
Susie Ellis, chairman and chief executive of the GSWS expressed her confidence in the most recent additions to the board. “It’s an honour to bring two individuals with such deep and unique expertise to our organisation,” she said. She added: “These two minds will be invaluable in helping us accomplish [even] more for the global wellness industry over the next few years.”
The eighth annual Global Spa & Wellness Summit will be held in Marrakech, Morocco, September 10-12, 2014.
