ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS

Ms Julie Garrow, Founding Director: Intelligent Spas Pte Ltd (Singapore)
Julie is the founding director of Intelligent Spas. She graduated with a Bachelor of Business specialising in Tourism, Management and Marketing and has over a decade of experience in hospitality and leisure research. Prior to establishing Intelligent Spas, she represented major organisations such as KPMG (Melbourne), Southern Pacific Hotels (Sydney) and most recently PricewaterhouseCoopers (Singapore). Julie now focuses specifically on spa industry research. She designed and implemented the Spa Industry Survey Program across Asia Pacific and is author of Spa Policies and Procedures and Spa Integration. Julie is also regularly printed in reputable trade magazines, including Spa Australasia, HOTEL Asia Pacific, Health & Beauty Salon UK, Skin Inc. USA and Spa Management Journal.

Mr Patrick Cusick, Editorial & Publications Director: Spa Odyssey (Quest Media Co Ltd, Thailand)
Patrick has been a mainline media personality for the past 30 years. His career includes being the editor of daily newspapers, magazine publisher and television presenter for CNBC and Star TV. Patrick's popular television series included Travel Asia & Beyond and The Business of Travel. More recently Patrick has become a respected specialist writer on natural health and spa. He is currently the Editor and Publications Director of Spa Odyssey magazine and the presenter of a Thai boxing Martial Arts weekly television program broadcast in 54 countries.

Ms Frédérique Deleage, Founder & Managing Director: Frédérique Group (Hong Kong)
Thirty five years in the beauty field have earned Frédérique a reputation as a leading international expert. She is the founder and managing director of the highly successful Frederique Holistic Health and Beauty Group, comprising of a prestigious spa, an internationally accredited academy, a wholesale products division, and a spa consultancy. Since its foundation in 1977, the Frederique Group has carved out an enviable position as the number one holistic health and beauty establishment in Hong Kong, with an acknowledged international reputation. Under Frédérique's leadership, Western and Eastern health and beauty philosophies merge to provide the very best care for body, mind and spirit.

Not only is Frédérique an inspiring speaker with workshops and seminars drawing people from all over the world, she has written many articles on the subject of health and beauty for publications like Asia Fit, Pulse, HK Beauty, and Asian Hotelier magazines. An active member of the International Spa and Fitness Association (ISPA) since 1994, she is an instrumental force in the growth of the spa movement in Asia. She was also the recipient of Hong Kong's 1996 Outstanding Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

Mrs Farida Chettab Brouwer,
Managing Director: Salamander Lifestyle Spa Consultancy, Design & Training (Singapore)
Associate Trainer: SPAcademy by Raffles International
Founder of Salamander Lifestyle a spa consultancy in Design, Management and Training, Farida has been working as a professional in the health and spa business for 23 years. In addition to full qualifications and extensive experience in beauty therapy, spa therapies, massage as well as in many Eastern healing therapies, Farida has been trained in numerous workshops and seminars on yoga, self-development, NLP, meditation, teamwork & staff motivation techniques, and, customer relations. Over the years, her extensive training in Spa Education and Spa Director Programmes and her experience in the industry make her a fully professional and experienced Trainer and Spa expert.

Mr Kim Chun-Wei, Founder & Chief Consultant: Ukulele Brand Consultants Pte Ltd (Singapore)
Kim is the founder of Ukulele Brand Consultants, a leading brand and design consultancy, with close to 200 creative awards, in UK, USA, Hong Kong and Singapore under its name. As the principal brand consultant of Ukulele, Kim has served clients in almost every major industry segment. Clients include Yeo's, Alexandra Hospital, The Pan Pacific Hotel, Singapore Exchange, Radiance Communications, Teaspa and many others. Kim is a regular speaker on branding and design topics and is regularly involved in dialogues and roundtable discussions organised by the local design authorities and bodies.

In 2002, together with key industry players, he was invited by the Ministry of Information, Communications & The Arts to "Design Singapore" Roundtable, to discuss and share his views on this important national initiative to spearhead the strategic development of design and develop Singapore as a leading hub for contemporary design in Asia.

Ms Yoriko Soma, Principal and Director: Conceptasia Management and Consultant Inc (Japan)
Yoriko is as the Principal and Director of Conceptasia Management and Consultants for the North Asia region, established in 2002 February with co-founder Suzanne Ng and with the prestigious Bloom Spa at Windsor Hotel in Toya, Hokkaido, the first international standard Spa Facility in Japan. She has also worked on several prestigious spa projects with the Mandara spa group, the Windsor Hotel spa and is a pioneer and market expert in the spa market in Japan. Conceptasia has a comprehensive network of consultants of the beauty business in for entry into the ASEAN, Japanese and Korean Market and focuses mainly on lifestyle related business which includes market research, feasibility studies, consultant advice and also introduction to key players in the Asian Market.

Yoriko started her career as a researcher at Economic Planning Agency, for the Japanese Government right ater her graduation. She helped world top class visiting professors’ research and development at the National Research Institute of Advanced (EPA research institute). When Kao Corporation launched their detergent brand “Attack”, Yoriko left the Economic Planning Agency to help implement their brand launching strategy. She contributed that brand awareness and create the number one market share (once more than 50% market share achieved) in Japan. She then moved to Hong Kong to join the Boston Consulting group Asia,Inc as a consultant in 1990, and left BCG in order to start own consulting and investment advisory in 1994. She has conducted many cases in Japan and Asia including above case file. Her specialty is consumer goods and marketing.

Mr Lionel Lee, Chairman: IBS Group (Singapore)
As Chairman of the IBS Group, Lionel has been closely involved in business strategy, private equity and executive management over the past 7 years in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Korea, Japan, China, Sri Lanka, Australia, United Kingdom and America. His vision is to grow the current portfolio into global enterprises by 2008. Since 2001, he has been instrumental in the growth of 2 spa companies based in Singapore including Spa Synergy, a spa development and management company and Spa Galleria, a spa lifestyle product development, distribution and management company.

In addition to his executive role at Spa Synergy, Lionel is also sits on the board of other portfolio companies including IBS Holdings, a private equity investment company; IBS Ventures, an foreign direct investment firm; Treetops-Ventures, a branding and marketing services firm and; Platinum Circle, a private business and social platform for global business leaders. Lionel chairs and speaks regularly at regional economic summits, business roundtables, industry conferences and corporate seminars on business strategy, venture capital, small-medium enterprises, customer relationship management, marketing and spas hosted by the World Economic Forum, Frost & Sullivan, Singapore Institute of Management, Siebel Systems etc.

Ms Maggie Gunning, Director: Spa Synergy (Singapore)
Maggie is the founder and Director of Spa Synergy. She has over 17 years of managerial expertise and operational experience in all aspects of the Health and Spa industry in Europe and Asia. Much of her time has been spent setting up and managing spas for such clients as Pacific Club Kowloon in Hong Kong, Rockwell Land Corporation in Philippines and St Gregory Day Spas in Singapore. As a fully qualified Aesthetician in face and body treatments, Maggie has also coached both the practical and theory side of spa related treatments and acted as international examiner for the Confederation of Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology. She has written and published spa related articles and is featured in many professional publications such as Health & Beauty Salon Magazine, Asiafit, Beauty in Action and Spa Management Journal.

Mrs Martha Tilaar, Founder & President: Martha Tilaar Spa & Salon (Indonesia)
Dr Martha Tilaar has been a keen enthusiast of the Indonesian traditional art and jamu herbal mix since her days of youth. She indulged herself in personal experiments until she became obsessed in the business. Upon graduating from the Academy of Beauty Culture, Bloomington USA, she started a small business in a garage-sized beauty salon and home made cosmetics. Over 33 years it grew into a group of companies known as Martha Tilaar Group employing over 6,000 people including the production of cosmetics, herbal medicines, food supplements and the operation of several beauty schools, salons and spa in Indonesia. Her passion to the legacy of Indonesian tradition led her to embrace the beauty philosophy from the ancient manuscript, known as Rupasampat Wahyabyantara – which means: Beauty is an expression of a harmony between the outer and the inner. The yield of this philosophy is Sari Ayu cosmetic range. Following the big success, Dr Tilaar created Biokos Total Age Care, Belia, Dewi Sri Spa, etc which combines Indonesian natural ingredients with modern research and production techniques and strict quality control. These brands achieved several awards like Indonesian Customer Satisfaction Award for years. Because of her prime position in Indonesian business and her background as a teacher, Dr Tilaar always comply all invitation to lecture at management and business meetings throughout the world enthusiastically. Recently, in Singapore she had lectured at Nanyang University and Chicago University. Through the Martha Tilaar Foundation that links with Leiden University she also gives scholarships to the talented and needy student or her potential employee.

In social life, Dr Tilaar is a member of Indonesian Business Woman’s Association, Indonesian Women Managers Association, has actively sponsored lavish social programs especially for Indonesian woman’s interest and education. In her hectic schedule as a chairwoman, she also managed to write and publish several books to share her 33 years of experience and knowledge. The latest is ‘Leadership Quotient Perempuan Pemimpin Indonesia’. The fruit of her lifetime dedication is achievement for numerous honors and awards, both in her profession and her capacity as social activist. This is including the invitation as a participant from Indonesia to UN Global Compact from Mr Kofi Annan and the last is Siddakretya Award. This is granted to industries which applied science & technology that have been tested and proved to bring benefits for national development and handed by President Megawati Soekarnoputri. Dr Tilaar is among the persons whose viewpoint is quoted in John Naisbitt’s famous book, “Megatrends Asia”.

Ms Lee Wai Ching, Holistic Healthcare Counsellor / Therapist
Principal: Earthstar Holistic Consultancy (Singapore)
Wai Ching is an intuitive healer descended from a lineage of natural physicians on the paternal and maternal sides. She is a U.S. qualified Holistic Healthcare Counsellor and somatic Bodywork Therapist. In her personal evolution she synthesizes artistic and creative expressions of painting, poetry writing with healing modalities of vibrational medicine. She offers counselling, healing & coaching guidance to gain insight, clarity and direction. Life is experienced and expressed as a learning and creative process. She colaborates with the medical profession in the field of Integrated Medicine and is an Associate Member of the Association of Women Doctors. She was also Holistic Concept consultant to the Turning Point Gallery conducting regular meditation, movement and creativity sessions and to the Opera Gallery integrating aromatherapy and art. She is also a committee member of UNIFEM & Representative of Biodynamics Association of Australia, also a Member of The Northern California Association of Sound Healers. She has also been involved in catalysing and organising events, seminars, projects and has been featured in publications, television and video presentations in support of the arts, organic and sustainable agriculture and the cu linary arts both in the U.S. and Singapore.