Richard Dusseau Founder & Partner Richard Dusseau is President & Managing Partner of Spa Strategy Inc. After 20 years in the luxury hotel business, Dusseau recognized the need for a spa company that understands the hospitality and lodging industry and established Spa Strategy with partner Nancy Nemer. Dusseau is armed with the expertise to seamlessly integrate spa operations into a hotel or resort. Using the spa’s marketing potential and his financial prowess, he has proven his ability to consistently maximize revenue per available room and boost occupancy for hotels. Dusseau’s vast hotel experience has given him an intimate view of a property’s bottom line, and his focus is on maximizing the return on investment. Prior to founding Spa Strategy, Dusseau held management positions at a wide range of luxury properties. From working at the five-star Little Nell hotel in Aspen or with Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, to being the general manager of a luxury, boutique hotel, Dusseau is intimately familiar with hotel operations. Dusseau’s visionary work with hotels and spas across the globe has garnered him invitations to speak at many industry seminars. He participated in the Ritz-Carlton’s Owners’ Luxury Panel. He has also spoken at the following conferences: the Hospitality Asset Managers Association conference (HAMA), the International Spa Conference in London, the Turning Point Global Spa Conference in Singapore, the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas, and the Lifetime Conference in Germany. He has written articles for Spa Business, Spa Australia, Wellness & Spas in the Middle East and other respected industry publications. Elaine Fenard Partner Elaine Fenard, recognized as a spa industry visionary, became an important third partner of Spa Strategy Inc. in spring 2006. With more than 25 years of experience in spa development and operations with one of the world’s largest hotel companies and the leading international spa operations company, Fenard joins the partners in their pursuit to create innovative, luxurious and profitable spas for their clients. As vice president of Spa Development and Operations for Starwood Hotels & Resorts she oversaw spa development and operation for over 750 properties in more than 80 countries. She championed the Starwood Spa Collection, a group of 38 unique spas, in addition to overseeing the development of many successful individual spas under the Starwood umbrella. Fenard designed several innovative concepts for Starwood including the “Spa in a Box” model—a profitable template for hotel owners and developers to follow from start to finish. At Steiner Leisure, Fenard directed development and operations for the highly successful Disney Magic and Wonder Vista spas. She also served as senior vice president of operations for Coiffeur Transocean (later acquired by Steiner Leisure), and was instrumental in the conception, development and operation of the first purpose-built spa at sea in the 1980s. Fenard’s vision for this project helped demonstrate the capital potential for spas in the cruise business and set the trend for future cruise ship spa construction. As an industry pioneer and recognized expert, Fenard has spoken at many conferences including the International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF) in Berlin, International Spa Convention, London HD 2003, Las Vegas; Spa Resort Expo, New York City; and New York Spa Symposium; Turning Point Global Spa Industry Conference, Philippines and is a regular guest speaker at Cornell University. Fenard brings a remarkable breadth of knowledge and expertise from the spa industry to Spa Strategy. But she also affords a unique mix of charm, intelligence, and a joyful approach to life, all topped with an enchanting Welsh accent. Fenard is an active sportswoman and began running marathons after turning 40. She prides herself on trying a new sport every year. Justin Sturgis Director of Spa Development Justin Sturgis is Director of Spa Development for Spa Strategy Inc. He is recognized as a leading authority in spa development and management with more than 17 years of experience in the spa industry. Sturgis’ skills in designing unique menus and services support the Spa Strategy team in creating distinctive spas and wellness centers. In addition, Sturgis has led successful openings for ground-breaking spas throughout North America. He is an expert in analyzing existing spa operations to develop operating criteria, service standards, and space plans. His financial expertise and commitment to service standards are essential in maximizing revenue opportunities and increasing operating income for Spa Strategy clients. Prior to joining Spa Strategy, Sturgis served in management positions at several renowned resort spas. He was instrumental in growing every property into an efficient and profitable operation with strong brand identities and memorable details. Sturgis was most recently Spa Director at the Aji Spa at Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort and Spa in Arizona, where he advanced the spa’s profitability and improved the operational structure beyond previous levels of efficiency, all within his first year onboard. As the Opening Director at Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort and Spa in New Mexico, Sturgis set up and developed all aspects of the facility and was responsible for all spa operations and marketing. He was on the opening task force for several Hyatt Resort spas, including the luxurious 20,000-square-foot Pacific Waters Spa in Huntington Beach, Calif. Sturgis worked on the management team at Ten Thousand Waves Japanese Spa in Santa Fe, N.M., a renowned spa which experienced exponential growth over three decades. Claire Way Director of Spa Development, Europe Claire Way is Director of Spa Development for Spa Strategy Inc.’s London office. Way brings her vast international experience in spa development and management to the Spa Strategy team in its pursuit to create the most innovative, luxurious and profitable spas in the world. Her career in the spa industry spans 15 years and several continents. Prior to opening the London office for Spa Strategy, Way worked with international Per Aquum Resorts & Spas, launching its spa division in record time. At Per Aquum, she was involved in brand development, collateral identity and business strategy. She had broad responsibility for financial management, recruitment, standards of operation, sales and marketing, always with a focus on maximizing the bottom line. At the prestigious Chiva-Som Health Resort Thailand and in the Maldives, Way was involved in developing new spa wings, setting training standards, creating new residential packages and marking achievement goals. Her focus was to make spas a financial success for both the spa operator and the hotel client. Way also worked as a spa manager for the St. David’s Hotel & Spa, managed by E’SPA International. The experience gave her detailed knowledge of the inner workings of a hotel spa. Marchello Chimenti Market Research Manager Marchello Chimenti is Market Research Manager at Spa Strategy Inc. and maintains the company’s essential and proprietary tool, which is the most extensive database in the spa industry with a wide range of spa and wellness statistics. Beyond the spa industry, Chimenti tracks consumer trends in the hospitality, tourism, fitness, health & beauty, and marketing industries, allowing Spa Strategy to take a proactive approach setting spa trends. Chimenti has a unique view on spa financial performance and the metrics of the spa business, allowing him to customize his market research beyond traditional spa programming and generate highly accurate and detailed predictive models. He provides comprehensive analyses and concrete numbers that act as the foundation for spa development and management plans. Chimenti employs his market research expertise to support Spa Strategy’s goals in fostering profitable results and unique concepts for hotel and resort spas. His strengths lie in helping to create customized spa programs to capture hotel guests, boost brand awareness and increase revenue for each client. He has worked with major hotel brands on a wide range of highly successful projects. Chimenti graduated from the University of Denver with a bachelor of science/ bachelor of arts degree in marketing.