Your instructors and the course creators of Spa Business Education are some of today’s foremost leaders in the global spa industry.
Here at Raison d’Etre—where we’ve helped to develop more than 170 spas in over 70 countries and created eight of the world’s most renowned spa brands—we know how to build an excellent team. And that’s exactly what we’ve done for Spa Business Education.
Your instructors, including the program mentors, have come together to offer you the most comprehensive, highest-caliber education in spa management available today.
Here’s who you’ll be learning from…
Anna Bjurstam
Program Founder
Anna Bjurstam
Program Founder
Anna Bjurstam Wellness Pioneer. Text: My name is Anna Bjurstam and I’ve been working with Raison d’Etre since the very beginning. I started as an advisor, then a part owner, in 2011 sole owner, and since 2013 I sold the company and have remained involved as Wellness Pioneer.
My passion for work:
My Passion in Work: I thrive on understanding where the needle is moving, tapping into the fieldbuilding concepts that caters to peoples (sometimes unknown) desires, thinking outside the box, questioning the status quo, and but perhaps even more to mentor and see my teams flourish and succeed.
My Rasion d’Etre:
My Raison d’Etre is: Exploring, learning, adventuring, connecting with Mother Earth and the invisible world, spending time with family and friends, enjoying the pleasures such as food, wine, music, books and overall celebrating life.
Anna-Cari Gund
CIDESCO Examiner
Nikos Kouremenos
Education & Project Manager
Anna-Cari Gund
CIDESCO Examiner
My name is Anna-Cari and I have the privilege of leading the amazing team of talented people and global wellness visionaries at Raison d’Etre. I have some 30 years of experience in the spa, beauty and wellness industry and I also continue to support CIDESCO International in my role as Examiner and Honorary President.
My passion for work:
Practicing kindness at all times. Sometimes it only takes on act of caring and kindness to change someone’s life. Important to me is supporting my team so they can grow as human beings and find happiness and balance in their lives.
My Rasion d’Etre:
My kind of wellness is being out in nature, walking, picking berries and mushrooms and fishing but at the same time I love city life -a perfect mix. I ́m passionate about music, fashion, football especially Chelsea FC and enjoy great food and wine together with friends and family.
Josefin Roth
Brand & Project Manager
Hi, I am Josefin and I have been with Raison d’Etre since 2012. Apart from project management, I also lead the branding for the wellness concept LivNordic. Strategic development, conceptual planning and designing experiences is not only my daily work, it’s my passion.I come from a spa operational background with a tourism and health degree, including certified spa therapist and fitness instructor. I am also a graphic designer.
My passion for work:
For me, wellness means a lot and it has become a lifestyle which really enriches my life. My mission is to inspire others to find easy ways to do the same. I thrive in creating experiences where others can refuel, boost oxytocin, ease pain and in other different ways enjoy life to the outmost. This combined with my love for interior and graphic design, makes my job very fulfilling.
My Rasion d’Etre:
There are so many things that I appreciate in life, but what really makes me thrive is to explore and learn new things. I am one of those persons that always are signed up for a course, seeking out new extraordinary destinations or challenging myself with a new piece in music.
josefin@rdespas.com
Maria Nystedt
Project Manager
Maria Nystedt
Project Manager
I’m Maria Nystedt and I have been part of the Raison d’Etre family since 2009, working as a Project Manager, but I have also been involved with the creation of our Spa Business Education.
Prior to joining RDE I was the Spa Manager for the award winning Six Senses Spa at Soneva Fushi in the Maldives. I have always been working with wellness, beauty and spa and I also have a graduation in marketing from IHM business school. I have a Finish passport, I speak Swedish as my mother language and I live with my family on Mallorca, Spain since 8 years.
My passion for work:
To be able to create extraordinary experiences and moments that matter is what makes my work so special. I love the creative freedom that I have and can use in concept and brand development. I love to create things that no one else has done yet, or just turn things upside down and ask “what if we do it this way”?
My Rasion d’Etre:
Good things in life like food and traveling. I love to travel with my family and see my kids explore and experience the diversity of different cultures, people, nature and food. Horses and hiking is what makes my heart sing when I’m not traveling.
Michael Simonato
Project Manager
Josefin Roth
Brand & Product Manager
Michael Simonato
Project Manager
Hi, My name is Michael Simonato. I’ve been working with Rason d’Etre since the beginning. I am a project manager and a mentor in the Spa Business Education. I grew up in Sweden, have worked all over the world, and now I am based in Ireland.
My passion for work:
I love the creative journey in spa development; from brain storming, to concept design to on-site coaching. As a mentor, I am inspired by my students. To watch them succeed and reach their full potential is a real blessing.
My Rasion d’Etre:
I have a deep love and respect for nature and Mother Earth. I grow my own vegetables and love to be elbow deep in the dirt. I have a deep interest in shamanism and ancient healing, and the infinite wonder of this existence. I also enjoy long-boarding, hiking and playing music.
Nikos Kouremenos
Education & Project Manager
I studied completely different things (Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences in Sweden) ,but eventually I followed my passion which was sports/fitness /wellness and went through different stages in my career from managing various big health clubs , establishing my own consulting company Fitness Academy , being a franchisor for a US ladies gym chain, working in the executive Athens 2004 Organizing Committee and the 2011 World Summer Games Special Olympics, representing international organizations (American College of Sports Medicine, IDEA, IHRSA) and finally coming full circle in 2013 to work for Raison d ‘Etre as the Education & Project Manager, thus combining both sides that I love , education and project design. I am Greek, I have traveled all around the world’s 5 continents (with sports and business) and I am now based again in my home town Athens, Greece, working from here.
My passion for work:
My initial desire was to study architecture , so being involved now with spa design , concept creation and space planning is great for me! Educating, mentoring and developing people was the other thing that I grew to like and develop myself into through my years in managing teams of people and I really enjoy doing that as well. I love working for a company as RDE since we share the same core values and that makes me feel very comfortable. I never cease to look for ways to improve myself, my work and at the same time challenge myself.
My Raison d’Etre:
I love sports and of course fitness & wellness. I love watching sports , being involved in organizing events/facilities, anything sports/wellness related. My top 3 favorite sports are basketball, tennis and squash, having played all 3 in national teams and on international level.
Hanne Standal La Roche
Course Administrator
Hanne Standal La Roche
Course Administrator
Hi, I am Hanne and I joined the Raison d’Etre team in 2014. I have a service-oriented background as operations manager and senior customer-service representative. I’ve also worked in the spa and beauty industry as an esthetician both in Sweden and the US. I was born in Norway, grew up in Sweden and have since lived and worked in the US, New Zealand and Indonesia.
My passion for work:
is trying tocreate harmony, beauty and balance wherever it’s needed. It gives me joy to support my Raison d’Etre team, to look for ways to help grow our business and ensure we have positive energy in our workplace. I’m happy to help out wherever needed.
My Rasion d’Etre:
is having a creative outlet through healthy cooking, photography, decorating, and painting. I also love traveling, exploring new wellness and culinary experiences, constantly learning more. My favorite quote is by his Holiness the Dalai Lama: “Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.”
Isabella Dos Santos
Course Instructor & Creator
Isabella is your teacher in the Spa Business Education trainings on leadership, strategic planning and service quality management and is one of the experts who helped develop the curriculum of Spa Business Education.
She was previously the training director at Raison d’Etre, training staff in therapies and management at spas around the world. She also helped to create and launch the Taj Hotel’s esteemed Jiva Spas brand, as well as Raison d’Etre’s own LivNordic spas. Isabella has more than 25 years experience in the wellness industry.
Patrick Walhberg
Course Instructor & Creator
Patrick wrote the book (literally—it’s called The Best You) on wellness and nutrition, and in Spa Business Education you receive his outstanding guidance for offering vibrant and healthy food at your spa, as well creating an eco-friendly business through sustainable spa management practices. Patrick has over 18 years of experience in the wellness industry.
Years of experience: 15
Annika Jackson
Course Instructor & Creator
Annika has overseen the creation, refurbishment and management of such notable spa developments as Sedona, Arizona’s Enchantment Resort and Spa, the world’s first destination spa within a luxury resort community, and Raison d’Etre’s own LivNordic spa brand.
Her expertise is woven into the Spa Business Education curriculum, and she is the former managing director of Raison d’Etre. Annika has more than 25 years experience in the wellness industry.
Years of experience: 25
Your personal mentor
One of the most crucial elements of your success in The Spa Management Programs - and one you won’t find in other spa management programs online - is your personal mentor. You’ll be introduced to yours at the beginning of the program.
The mentors are highly experienced spa management professionals who are here to answer any questions you might have throughout the program’s modules and to offer insight and guidance as you complete each assignment.
Nikos Kouremenos, Ph.D.
As education manager at Raison d’Etre and a Spa Business Education mentor, Nikos offers you invaluable insight that comes from helping to open and operate more than 50 health clubs and spas around the world. Students appreciate his wise, detailed feedback and how it deepens their understanding of the business topic at hand.
If Nikos is your mentor, be sure to ask him what planning the 2004 Athens Olympics and running a 7,500-square-meter spa had in common...and which was easier to manage. His experience is priceless!
Michael Simonato
Michael has been with Raison d’Etre over 20 years. He loves being a mentor to Spa Business Education students because he gets to draw from his full spectrum of experience - from top spas on four different continents - as he guides you through your education in spa management.
For a story that transcends what you might imagine spa management to be, ask Michael how an ancient Incan discovery helped him and his team create an award-winning spa in the Peruvian high Andes.
