Anna Bjurstam
Managing Partner
Anna Bjurstam has always been dedicated to wellness and has worked in the business for 25 years that started in the area of Fitness to later evolve in to all areas of Wellness. Together with her hands on expertise, through in depth studies in everything from fitness, yoga, meditation and healing together with a Master Degree in Business Administration Anna was a leading force within Raison d’Etre since the very beginning back in 1998. Anna is now Vice President of Spas for Six Senses Spas & Resorts Worldwide and in charge of Six Senses Spas with 30 locations world-wide as well as an active board member and partner of Raison d’Etre. Anna’s task is to develop the Six Senses Spa and Wellness brand further and continue to grow it for the coming expansions. This year alone Six Senses opened 4 new locations, 2 of them full service resorts. As Active Chairperson of Raison d’Etre, Anna continues to be the guiding light for an ever-growing company of globally-placed professionals that are on our Team. With the roll-out of the LivNordic Wellness brand, as well as the creation and development for a number of spa brands around the world, Raison d’Etre has become the world leading spa company. Anna is a founding board member of the Global Wellness Summit, an invite only non-profit event held yearly in different locations around the globe.
Contact Anna Bjurstam at anna@rdespas.com
Anna-Cari Gund
Managing Director
With nearly 30 years of experience, Anna-Cari has a long career in the spa and beauty therapy industry. She has devoted much of her time to lecturing at Beauty Therapy Schools, represented Educational Associations, acted as an International Examiner and held positions on the Board of many National Organisations in Sweden. For nearly 15 years she also managed Yrkeshögskolan för Hudvård & Spa, the leading Beauty and Spa Therapy School in Sweden. After eight years as vice president of CIDESCO International, Anna-Cari Gund was elected president in October 2012. She now represents CIDESCO International, with over 250 Beauty Therapy Schools and 33 Sections around the World. Anna-Cari travels the world for continuous professional development and networking, within the Spa industry, at events as The Global Wellness Summit and acts as an inspiring industry leading speaker at worldwide Congresses and Exhibitions. Through Anna-Cari´s leadership, the capabilities of the unique Raison d´Etre team will have the opportunity to develop by inspiring the performance of each individual. This will strengthen Raison d´Etre´s position as the most preferred and leading, international Spa Consultancy Company.
Contact Anna-Cari Gund at anna-cari@rdespas.com
Annika Jackson
Director of Business Development
Annika joined Raison d’Etre in the fall of 2012 as Managing Director. After gaining 25 years of Spa, Resort & Travel Industry experience in the US mainly Annika has provided spa and resort development and management services to owners and developers as the Vice President & Managing Director of Enchantment Group based in Scottsdale, Arizona. Annika oversaw the development, construction and coordinated the creation efforts and opening of the world renowned Mii amo Destination Spa at Enchantment Resort in Sedona, AZ. The first-ever destination spa to be combined within a luxury resort community Mii amo garnered worldwide praise, received accolades such as the Travel + Leisure readers survey naming Mii amo # 1 in the “World’s Best Destination Spa”, 2007 and 2009. As Managing Director of Enchantment Resort she led operations, a staff of 500, was the liaison between owners, developers and investors while managing the Home Owners Association. Annika’s last large project was to start, manage and finish the 25+millon US dollar renovation of Enchantment Resort & Spa. Her passion for design and spas and what it brings to people promoting healthy, balanced living is most important to her as well as her 2 young children. This has recently led to her change in position to now oversee Business Development at Raison d’Etre, our own LivNordic Brand and all other brands our company is involved in.
Contact Annika Jackson at annika@rdespas.com
Michael Clarke
Operations Director – Raison d’Etre Spas
Fitness & Special Projects Director – Six Senses Spas
Michael has over 20 years experience in the Spa and Wellness industry with a background in fitness, memberships, hotel & resort spa management and hotel management. Michael has vast experience in all areas of spa operations and development from business planning, finance, quality management systems, effective reporting, creative problem solving and concept development. He has also opened over 20 award winning spas and been involved in over 30 other spa projects for both Raison d’Etre and Six Senses.
Contact Michael Clarke at michael@rdespas.com
Ian Bell
Senior Project Manager
Ian Bell first joined Raison d’Etre in 2000, opening and developing their spas in the Maldives. In 2001 he was RdE’s opening manager at the flagship Aman Spa at Amanpuri, Thailand and was subsequently involved in the design and development of four additional Aman Spas under Raison d’Etres direction, as well as later on The Aman Spa at the Connaught in London in 2009. In 2005 Ian joined Aman Resorts as the Executive Assistant Manager for the five Amankora properties in Bhutan. In 2010 he moved to Sri Lanka to work on the design of a meditation centre for a Tibetan Lama. During that time he was commissioned to consult on the LVMH spa in the Maldives. Ian continued to maintain his contact with Raison d’Etre throughout his career and after returning to the UK in 2012 joined RdE again and is excited to add his love for spa design and development to the team, bringing his journey full circle back to Raison d’Etre.
Contact Ian Bell at ian@rdespas.com
Josefin Rooth
Brand Manager LivNordic Hotels & Wellness and Project Manager
Josefin joined Raison d’Etre 2012 and has since had several different roles in the company. She is now leading the development of our brand LivNordic Hotels & Wellbeing as the Brand Manager whilst also continuing as a Project Manager for independent spa and wellness projects. She works from the planning stage to implementation, with main focus on creative concepts and design. Josefin has a strong background in spa operations, membership management and education and holds a health & tourism management degree including certifications as a therapist, fitness instructor, life coach and spa manager. Josefin is very passionate about hospitality, wellness, design and innovation, and she uses these passions and her talents in her daily work developing and creating for LivNordic, Raison d’Etre and the Think Tank services.
Contact Josefin Rooth at josefin@rdespas.com
Nikos Kouremenos
Education & Project Manager
Nikos joined Raison d’Etre in 2013, as the Spa Director in one of the biggest worldwide Thalasso & Spa facilities, in Soma Bay, Red Sea, Egypt, while managing the spa operations in the whole area, including Kempinski and Robinson Club Spas. Nikos holds a Ph.D degree and is an ACSM certified Health & Fitness Director. He has a 25 year long career in top managerial positions in the health & fitness industry, as well as in sports & major event management (including Olympic Games and Special Olympics). He has travelled to all five continents and has a multi-cultural understanding. He has worked on a series of projects in the fitness/wellness/sports industry completing feasibility studies, business plans and staff training while running his own consulting company since 1994, working with the most credible organizations, like ACSM , IDEA and IHRSA. He has served as their Liaison for a number of years, as well as on the International Advisory Board. Nikos has also been teaching Spa Management and courses like Applied Leadership and Strategic HR Management in the Master’s program at Alpine Center, the Swiss Business School for International Hotel & Tourism Management Education between 2010-2013. Since July 2015 Nikos is the Education & Project manager of Raison d’Etre.
Contact Nikos Kouremenos at nikos@rdespas.com
Nora Forsberg
Operations Director, LivNordic Spa&Fitness, Viking Cruises
Nora joined Raison d’Etre in 2014 and is now Operative Director for LivNordic Spa & Fitness onboard Viking Ocean Cruises. Her background as a CIDESCO trained beauty therapist and Spa manager in several locations gives her nearly 20 years of experience from the global cosmetic, beauty and spa industry. Nora has extensive expertise in growing successful businesses and operating in a sustainable manner. Nora has a true passion for beauty and wellness and is deeply dedicated to building successful and joyful teams.
Contact Nora Forsberg at nora@rdespas.com
Hanne Standal-LaRoche
Office Manager
Hanne joined the Raison d’Etre team in spring 2014. With a strong service-oriented background Hanne brings extensive office management expertise to the team from her most recent positions as operations manager and senior customer-service representative. She also has many years of spa and beauty industry experience from Sweden and the US (Florida and California), where she worked as a CIDESCO certified esthetician. Originally from Norway, Hanne has also lived and worked in Indonesia and New Zealand.
Contact Hanne Standal-LaRoche at hanne@rdespas.com
Lovisa Petri
Training Manager
Lovisa grow up in the spa and wellness business with her parents running a spa for most of her life. At a young age, she first studied to become a makeup artist and nail technician and then decided to widen her knowledge and to become a CIDESCO certified esthetician. In 2013 she won a Swedish national competition as an aesthetician, which entitled her to compete in the World Championship – World Skills where Lovisa won a bronze medal. She continued to work as an esthetician in Norway and Spain and later moved back to Sweden where she worked as a Spa manager. Her desire to travel led her to the seven seas, working mostly as a trainer and in management on cruise ships. At the end of 2016 she competed in the European Championship as an aesthetician and won her first gold medal. Lovisa started working for Raison d’Etre in 2016 as a trainer and was recently promoted to be our Training Manager.
Contact Lovisa Petri at lovisa@rdespas.com
Maria Nystedt
Project Manager
Maria Nystedt joined Raison d’Etre in 2009. She has more than 20 years of experience in the cosmetic, beauty and spa industry. Prior to joining Raison d’Etre, she was the Spa Manager for the multiple award-winning Six Senses Spa at Soneva Fushi in the Maldives. As a CIDESCO certified beauty therapist, she has also worked as a Training Manager at the L’Oréal group.
She is passionate about writing, creative work and concept development. She is also part of the teacher team for Spa Business Education, where she focuses on the Marketing and PR module as she also holds a Diploma in Business and Marketing from IHM Business School. Today she lives and works in Palma, Mallorca. Maria is also a trained Vinyasa Yoga instructor.
Contact Maria Nystedt at: marian@rdespas.com
Maria Markovic
Project Manager – currently on maternity leave
Maria Stanislavova began working at Raison d’Etre by doing a 6 months internship in 2012, after which she went back to receive her Bachelor in International Hospitality Management at Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne. Since October 2014, Maria has been working for Raison d’Etre full time as a Project Manager. Maria has gained operational experience from her education, as well as the service internships that she has completed throughout her studies. She also has event management & marketing experience from working for Savelli Geneve and for Global Spa & Wellness Summits in New Delhi (2013) and Morocco (2014). Maria is a dynamic professional, upcoming in the Spa and the Wellbeing industry and she contributes to Raison d’Etre team with her international background, public speaking, language skills, enthusiasm and creativity.
Contact Maria Stanislavova at maria@rdespas.com
Michael Simonato
Project Manager
Michael joined Raison d’Etre in 1999 as a Visiting Practitioner at Soneva Fushi in the Maldives. Michael has extensive experience ranging from spa creation and project planning to implementation, training and operations. He was assigned regional spa manager for Aman resorts in Indonesia, moved on to work as Corporate Spa director for Orient Express in Peru and later Regional Director for Africa and Middle East. Michael is passionate about creating delightful harmonic spaces for wellbeing and empowering people to reach their highest potential. He has a great interest in eco-design and permaculture-based principles for sustainable living.
Contact Michael Simonato at: michael@rdespas.com
Michael Simoes
Purchasing & IT Systems Manager
Michael has worked in the spa and wellness industry for over 20 years. He began his career as a rehab therapist for the Toronto Raptors. He has also worked as a massage therapist at the number one ranked spa in Canada, Stillwater Spa. To fulfill his passion for travel and to reconnect with his heritage he moved from Canada to Portugal where he worked as a massage therapist at a Six Senses Spa in Sintra. He has had positions as Training & Therapy Manager at renowned spas in the middle East; Zara Spa in Jordan. There he was promoted to Spa Operations Manager, and successfully ran the spa until he joined the Raison d’Etre team in 2015. Michael then helped launch the LivNordic brand onboard Viking Ocean Cruises’ first ship as Assistant Spa Manager and went on to launch two more ships and complete five contracts as Spa Manager. Michael moved away from life on board the ships in 2018 when he was promoted by Raison d´Etre to Purchasing and Systems IT Manager for LivNordic on Viking Ocean Cruises. Michael also continues to serve the brand in this position by providing land-based support for all the spa managers onboard the ships.
Contact Michael Simoes at: michaels@rdespas.com
Mariell Arrhenius
HR Manager
Mariell joined Raison d’Etre as a Spa Manager for our LivNordic spas onboard Viking Ocean Cruises in September 2016. Prior to joining Raison d’Etre Mariell, enjoyed a successful career working in spa management at five-star hotel operations at island resorts in tropical locations such as Maldives, grand city hotels in Doha and in a high-end boutique spa in Oman. She holds a therapy background in massage and fitness with several years’ experience both in Sweden and in Asia.
After three contracts onboard LivNordic spas onboard Viking Ocean Cruises, including managing the team for Viking Ocean Cruises inaugural World cruise in 2018, she was promoted to HR Manager and joined our Raison d´Etre office team in Sweden. She is mainly working with recruitment and manning support, especially for our LivNordic spas, but also other projects.
Contact Mariell Arrhenius at: mariell@rdespas.com