Advisory Board Members

This illustrious group of business leaders has worked to make the Global Wellness Summit a reality.

Susie Ellis
Founder, Chair & CEO, Global Wellness Summit
Chair & CEO, Global Wellness Institute, United States

Susie Ellis is the co-founder, chair and CEO of the Global Wellness Summit and chairman and CEO of the Global Wellness Institute, the non-profit research and educational resource for the global wellness industry. Recognized as an authority on wellness trends, Susie is frequently quoted in major news outlets around the world. She holds an MBA from the University of California, Los Angeles, and is a popular speaker at industry events.

Amir Alroy
Co-Founder, Welltech Ventures, Israel

Amir Alroy is an investor, entrepreneur, lecturer, and global thought leader in wellness, health, and longevity. He is the Co-Founder of Welltech Ventures, a leading venture fund investing in science-backed wellness, healthspan-tech, and longevity innovation.Amir is also the Co-founder of The Wellness Collection, a global platform showcasing the world’s most outstanding wellness and longevity hotels, resorts, and transformational retreats.Previously, Amir served as CEO of A.Y.R.A.D, a family investment group that backed dozens of high-tech companies over more than a decade. A prominent figure in the global wellness ecosystem, he served as Co-Chair of the Global Wellness Summit 2022 in Israel and is a member of the Global Wellness Summit Advisory Board.A sought-after keynote speaker and the Global Wellness Day Ambassador for Israel, Amir is widely recognized as a pioneer shaping the emerging global wellness and longevity technology landscape. He was named among the Top 30 Influencers Transforming Wellness (2022–2023) by Medika Life.Amir recently published his first book, “Wellness – A Journey to Optimal Living.” He holds an M.Sc. (with honors) in Sports Management from St. Thomas University in Miami, Florida, and a B.A. from Reichman University in Israel.

Anna Bjurstam
Wellness Pioneer, Six Senses; Partner, Raison d’Etre; Strategic Advisor, Pegasus Capital Group, Sweden

Anna Bjurstam is a pioneering entrepreneur and strategic advisor with over 25 years of leadership in the wellness industry. With a Master’s Degree in Finance and expertise spanning business development, longevity science, and holistic wellness, she brings a comprehensive approach to transforming the wellness landscape globally.

Currently serving as Strategic Advisor and Wellness Pioneer for Six Senses and Raison d’Etre, as well as developing several wellness and longevity strategies for hotel brands, fitness brands as well as medical clinics. Anna’s influence extends across multiple roles: independent consultant, investor, serial entrepreneur, and board member of several organizations. She has been an integral part of the Global Wellness Summit board since 2007, helping shape the direction of the wellness industry globally.

Her entrepreneurial journey began in 1997 when she played a pivotal role in introducing S.A.T.S, now Scandinavia’s leading fitness chain, to the Swedish market. She expertly managed both the opening of large-scale fitness centers and the strategic acquisition of existing facilities across Sweden.

In 2000, Anna became co-owner of Raison d’Etre, a spa and wellness company that would go on to shape over 200 spas across 70 countries. Under her leadership as sole owner from 2011, the company developed its own hotel and spa brand, LivNordic. The company’s success led to its acquisition by Pegasus Capital Advisors in 2013 and subsequently by IHG in 2019.

Since joining Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas in 2013, Anna has been instrumental in elevating the global wellness brand. She has focused on developing innovative wellness initiatives while ensuring each spa maintains its unique identity within the master brand framework. A key achievement has been the development of Six Senses Place, an exclusive membership club designed for urban locations worldwide.

Anna continues to pioneer the future of wellness through multiple ventures. She is the founder and primary owner of V Social Club, now AgebackCo, an innovative longevity, hyperbaric and biohacking social lifestyle club, and is part of founding Rosebar Longevity. As a senior strategic advisor, board member, and angel investor, she focuses on advancing initiatives in wellness communities, biohacking, and longevity. Her work spans from consulting with global brands to investing in promising startups, always with an eye toward advancing the integration of wellness into everyday life.

Complementing her business acumen, Anna has spent three decades immersing herself in diverse spiritual practices including Vipassana meditation, healing arts, shamanism, Siddha Yoga, and plant medicine. This deep exploration of consciousness and human potential, combined with her interests in quantum physics and science and her BioGeometry diploma, allows her to bridge ancient wisdom with modern scientific approaches to wellness.

A sought-after speaker and thought leader, Anna regularly shares her insights at international conferences and educational institutions, contributing to the ongoing evolution of the wellness industry through her unique blend of business expertise, scientific understanding, and spiritual wisdom.

C. Victor Brick, MEd
Founder & CEO, Ohana Growth Partners, United States

Victor is the co-founder and CEO of Ohana Growth Partners (OGP), one of the largest franchisees of the Planet Fitness Health Club System. Under his leadership, OGP has grown substantially, operating a wide network of centers across the United States and Australia.

In addition to his role at OGP, Victor is the co-founder of the Johnn W Brick Mental Health Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to changing the way the world approaches and treats mental health. Through this foundation, he advocates integrating self-care approaches – such as exercise, nutrition, and mind-body practices – into treating mental illness and promoting mental wellness.

Victor’s commitment to wellness extends to his role as a member of the Board of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins Hospital, where his expertise in both fitness and mental health contributes to advancing innovative practices in psychiatric care. Victor’s work continues to influence the intersection of fitness, mental health and wellness, shaping the future of both industries.

Cathy Feliciano-Chon
Managing Partner, Finn Partners APAC, Greater China, Hong Kong

Cathy Feliciano-Chon is a marketing expert with over 35 years of experience in brand development and communications. While based in Hong Kong, she oversees strategy and business development for Finn Partners’ offices in Asia driving the global campaigns and market entry strategies for the world’s leading companies and brands in tourism, hospitality, consumer and luxury. Cathy spearheads thought leadership initiatives producing research on a range of topics from wellness tourism, luxury travel, the future of food and smart cities. She is recognized for her keen insights on Asia’s consumer landscape and emerging trends.

Nicola Finley, MD, PLLC
Integrative Medicine and Board Certified Internal Medicine Physician, United States

Dr. Nicola Finley sits on the Global Wellness Summit board of advisors. She is a physician board-certified in internal medicine physician and obesity medicine, fellowship trained in integrative medicine, and adjunct faculty member at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health at the University of Arizona. She is the Founder and Principal at Dr. Nicola, PLLC, a physician-led boutique consulting practice helping organizations elevate their wellness and preventative health strategies globally. Her expertise includes holistic wellness, women’s health, metabolic health, employee wellness and health equity.

Irene Forte
Founder & CEO, Irene Forte Skincare, United Kingdom

Irene was previously the wellness director of Rocco Forte Hotels and has launched her own skin-care line: “Irene Forte Skincare” in 2018. Irene was awarded government funding to create a careers app in 2015 (Map My Future), which has been available at Rocco Forte Hotels since 2016. Irene was also awarded the “2016 Rising Star Shine” award and an “Acorn 30 under 30” award in 2017. She is the daughter of Sir Rocco Forte.

Maggie Hsu
Partner, Andreessen Horowitz, United States

Maggie Hsu is a Partner at Andreessen Horowitz focused on web3. She previously led business development for Amazon Managed Blockchain at Amazon Web Services, and has held executive positions at Zappos.com and Hilton Worldwide. She is also co-founder of Gold House, a nonprofit collective of pioneering Asian leaders. Maggie is a Cornell Institute for Healthy Futures Industry Scholar and a past co-chair of the 2017 Global Wellness Summit. She holds undergraduate and MBA degrees from Harvard University.

Ömer K. Isvan
Founder & President, Servotel Corporation, United Kingdom

Ömer is the founder and president of Servotel, celebrating over 40 years of evolution into a global Hospitality & Lifestyle Real Estate development and investment advisory boutique. Servotel is now recognized as one of the leading advisories in the investment and development of hotels, resorts, wellness facilities and integrated residential and mixed-use lifestyle developments worldwide.

Backed up with industry-leading specialists based in London, Istanbul and Dubai, Omer’s experience spans over 46 countries and numerous projects advising investors in every step of investment and development from green-field concepting stage through to asset management of hotels, resorts, destination wellness and lifestyle communities, most involving the selection and integration of global hospitality operators and brands.

Omer’s unique approach and vision for the development advisory field, strong passion for a fully coherent holistic R&D and expertise base that plugs-in to the investor and that maintains the link between the vision, physical and operational concept and the financial feasibility, led to Servotel’s fully integrated multi-discipline structure including specialists in concept and creative elements, legal, economic, financial, market research & marketing, design & engineering to complement and cohere the investor, its architects, designers, specialist consultants and operators throughout the development and pre-opening process.

A graduate of University of Surrey, England, Isvan is a Fellow of Institute of Hospitality; member of the board of the Global Wellness Institute, Board Member (and Co-Chairman 2021 Tel Aviv) of the Global Wellness Summit, Advisory Board member of the International Hotel Investment Forum and member of Institute of Directors and British Institute of Management. Omer is also reported to have introduced the term ‘boutique hotel’ into the industry in early 80’s and is one of few industry leaders to have made the cover of Business Week. Alongside his career, Omer contributes to the industry by delivering keynote lectures on hospitality development at conferences and leading universities and corporate MBA’s globally.

Omer is married with two children, passionate about yachting, superyacht design, luxury travel, exploration, authentic travel and gastronomy alongside his engagement in a seniors’ basketball team.

Jessica Jesse
Founder, CEO & Creative Director, BuDhaGirl®; Founder, Zen Collective

Jessica Jesse is the visionary force behind BuDhaGirl®, serving as Founder, CEO, and Creative Director, and now the creator of Zen Collective, a brand hub for ShanShan, Kumali, and Spirit & Nest.

She founded BuDhaGirl as a luxury lifestyle brand devoted to wellbeing across multiple sectors, expressed through beautiful, meaningful objects. Through her signature philosophy, Mindful Glamour®, she integrates contemplative rituals and intention-setting into everyday wearable and consumable pieces, transforming the ordinary into the sacred. Zen Collective expands this vision by fostering a like-minded community through curated content, shared rituals, and purposeful dialogue, offering a space where mindfulness and modern life intersect.

Jessica Jesse’s journey reflects the power of purpose-driven creativity. By uniting contemplative practice, community, and refined style, she has built more than a brand—she has cultivated a movement that honors ritual, presence, and the enduring elegance of living mindfully in the modern world.

Hannah Messerli, PhD
Economic Development Specialist, United States

Dr. Hannah Messerli serves on the faculty of The George Washington University School of Business leading the MBA Consulting Abroad Program for Germany. Previously as a Senior Private Sector Development Specialist in Tourism in the Finance, Competitiveness and Innovation Group of the World Bank she supported government efforts to utilize tourism as an economic development tool for diverse economies in each of the world’s regions. She is a tourism researcher and lectures globally on tourism economics and sector trends.

Veronica Schreibeis Smith
CEO & Founding Principal, Vera Iconica Architecture & Developments, United States

Veronica Schreibeis Smith, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, is CEO and Founding Principal of Vera Iconica, a design brand focused on creating environments to support optimal living. The company provides services in architecture, interior design, Wellness Kitchen™ design, and real estate development. It is a global pioneer in wellness architecture, the art and science behind designing experiences and rituals that enhance human and planetary wellbeing, with a special affinity for projects that are pushing the boundaries of how we work, play and live. Special projects include collaborations with regenerative hospitality brands, the House of Enlightenment, as well as ongoing research through hosting the podcast Architecture of Being: Composing a Conscious Life, which explores the impact our surroundings have on longevity, vitality and happiness. Veronica has practiced architecture on four continents, and continues to work, write, speak, and lead think tanks internationally. She founded the Wellness Architecture & Design Initiative for the Global Wellness Institute, and is founder of the non-profit organization Wellness Architecture + Design.

Yoriko Soma
President & CEO, Conceptasia Inc., Japan / Singapore

Yoriko Soma began her career at the Boston Consulting Group, Hong Kong. Believing that the health and wellness business is at the core of people’s happiness, and would grow into a global scale industry, Yoriko launched a fund in 2007 for investments in the spa and wellness sector. She has deep experience in corporate wellness, introducing wellness programs for company employees and the government sector.

She is a regular and popular speaker at conferences and seminars in Japan, in order to broaden wellness knowledge and deepen commitment in the Japanese market.

Emeritus Advisory Board Members

Pete Ellis
Founder & Chairman Emeritus, Global Wellness Summit, United States

Pete Ellis has devoted his career to creating better experiences for consumers. In 1994-95, he launched the first automotive buying and research website, Autobytel.com, revolutionizing an entire industry. After taking Autobytel public, Ellis formed Jubilee Investments, which became the majority shareholder of Spafinder, among other companies. He also was a founder of Booker Software, one of the largest point-of-sale management systems in the spa and wellness industry. In 2018, MINDBODY acquired Booker.

Professor Mary Tabacchi, PhD, RD
Professor Emerita, Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, United States

Professor Mary Tabacchi, PhD, RD, has been active in the spa industry since the early 1980s, when she worked with the Golden Door and Rancho La Puerta. She created strong prototypes for spa research for the International Spa Association in the early 1990s, the Destination Spa Group and the Leading Spas of Canada in 2000-2004. Dr. Tabacchi has taught spa management and development at Cornell University’s Hospitality Management program since 1985.

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Advisory Board Members

Emeritus Advisory Board Members

2026 Global Wellness Summit