Karen Goudge joined the ASpa Board in Aug 2007. She has over 14 years experience in the travel industry and has had a dynamic working career that has involved allied health, marketing and media. In 2001 she established Travel With A Difference and a couple of months later Spa Travel noticing a market gap for people to experience rejuvenating spa and wellness packages to exotic destinations. Karen’s passion is exploring and developing innovative ideas to communicate and sell unique spa travel packages, whilst listening to and meeting client’s needs and requirements. Spa Travel is Australia’s leading dedicated licensed travel operator in blending the two worlds: spa and travel.
Enthusiastic about the purpose and benefits of the spa industry and ASpa, Karen looks forward to strengthening relations and awareness whilst enhancing the connection for new and current members.
Considered a leading expert in the business of blending spa with travel, Karen has an International Travel Diploma and has been a participating judge for the Asia Spa Magazine Awards based in Hong Kong for 2006, 2007 and 2008. Since becoming an ASpa member in 2002, she had contributed time to being a Victorian Networking Coordinator and on the Board of Directors. After travelling and living aboard, Karen now resides at the coastal town of Barwon Heads, Victoria.
Paul has over 20 years in Management and Senior Management experience ranging from FMCG to the Complimentary Health Industry and now the Spa Industry. He has worked in major Corporations and small to medium sized businesses in Australia and Canada. He has also owned his own Company.
This uniqueness gives Paul a perspective from all sides of the industry and allows him to listen and provide solutions in order to grow the industry.
Way back in the 1980’s he completed his Degree in Business Administration and that started a lie-long journey of learning. With a passion on how to understand others and to better relate Paul started taking courses in NLP and in 2006 became a NLP Trainer. He is currently taking a refresher course on Management.
His passion and enthusiasm is to build business by building great teams and providing a positive environment in which to work from is evidenced from his recent stint at LI’TYA. Like the late John Ilhan (founder and owner of Crazy John’s) he believes in building business by building capabilities in others around him.
For the past 10 years Paul has resided in Melbourne and is happily married to Lisa.
Paul Farrow, ASPA’s only New Zealand board representative has recently joined the Volunteer Board of Directors. He has been involved in the Spa, Massage and Skin Care industry for the past 20 years. He is currently the Director of Natures Touch Spa at Mecure Grand Puka Park Resort, Pauanui and Inbalance Spa at Novotel, Rotorua.
With experience as a New Zealand representative athlete Paul’s career began with formal training in massage before progressing to skin care college then establishing two day Spa’s in downtown Auckland. He continues to work with athletes and sports teams today still assisting the US based ATP with the Heineken Tennis Open in Auckland in January each year.
Paul brings his experience to the ASPA Board in Spa start up and management while balancing this with the need to continually develop and train staff. He has a passion for the industry and would like to offer as much support to the New Zealand Spa industry as possible.
Charles Davidson is Founder, Director and Co-owner of the Peninsula Hot Springs, Australia’s first commercial, natural hot mineral spring bathing facility locate 90 minutes drive south of Melbourne. He is also a Board Member and Vice President of Mornington Peninsula Tourism, Founding President of the Mornington Peninsula Spa Association, and a Board Member of the Australian Spa Association responsible for the administration of the ‘International Relationships’ and ‘Tourism’ portfolios.
Charles received his bachelor of Commerce from Melbourne University in 1987, an Associate Diploma of International Trade from RMIT in 1990 and has studied German at the Goethe Institute in Germany, Spanish at the Salamanca University in Spain and Japanese at the Nichibei Kaiwa Gakuen in Japan. He spent 11 years in corporate life in international trade of food products including a total of five years at Mitsubishi Corporation and the Australian Embassy in Tokyo. He is currently engaged in ongoing studies through the Master of Wellness course offered online by RMIT University.
In 1992 Charles was awarded a one year Australian Federal Government Asia Pacific Fellowship. While on the Fellowship in Japan he was taken to the Hot Springs town of Kusatsu. Laying back in an open-air hot mineral spring pool, while winter snow covered the ground, he had a dream to spend his life helping people connect with each other and the environment through bathing. Since that time he has been on a global learning journey exploring bathing related health and wellbeing experiences that has so far taken him to 17 countries. Charles lives on the Mornington Peninsula with his wife, Yuki and four children, Kai, Daniel, Chika and Chiara.
Naomi Gregory has extensive senior management experience in the spa, wellness and fitness industry. Her exposure to different cultural and operational issues is broad, having worked in Australia, Asia and Saudi Arabia for 5-star brands such as Chiva-Som International Health Resort, Mandara Spa Asia, GHM and Crown Hotels. She is a respected operator with many successful large-scale openings to her credit. She is accustomed to working with luxury brands and has developed a great appreciation of what their guests’ desire and expect.
Naomi founded Spa Sessions in 2005, and in 2007 SpaAudit.com, a groundbreaking secret shopping system. She continues to develop comprehensive training and performance products designed to support spa and salon operators globally. Naomi has an impressive client portfolio and is a sought after Spa Project Consultant. She travels extensively throughout Asia Pacific and the Middle East from her home base near Margaret River, Western Australia.
Jennifer joined the beauty industry in 1981 as training and promotions manager for the Elizabeth Arden Group in Western Australia. She has toyed with fashion buying, has a degree in primary teaching and studied marketing at Sydney University. With a passion for the beauty industry, in 1988 Jennifer became the cosmetic promotion manager for Grace Bros’s forty one stores in New South Wales.
In 1990 she received her Diploma of Beauty Therapy and Make up Artistry after studying for a year at The Academie de Soins Esthetiques in Paris. Then in March 1991 she opened her first beauty salon in Cottesloe and in December 1999, she opened her first ‘escape’ day spa in Claremont, Western Australia. Next was Burswood in 2000 followed by Dunsborough in 2004, Bunbury in 2008 and Kings Park 2009.
Jennifer understands planning and organisation skills are vital for working with a team of qualified spa and beauty therapists. Keep staff motivated, intense training and acknowledging the potential of her staff has bought her, her today’s success.
A new face on the ASpa board Rebecca Arcuri has worked in both Sales and Marketing and Operational Management in the hospitality and Leisure industry for over 10 years. Designing and developing leisure products and services in 5 star environments like Sanctuary Cover Resort in Queensland and the RACV Club in Victoria ensures Rebecca has a strong foundation in developing growth strategies and a practical approach to operational management.
Rebecca is the Lifestyle and Wellbeing Manager of RACV City Club and works across the Club's lifestyle areas of Fitness Centre, Day Spa and Library.
Working on the design, development and opening of 3 leisure facilities and planning several others Rebecca's understanding of spa operators and their guests needs is broad. With the professional development and education portfolio Rebecca is looking forward to establishing some useful tools to assist Aspa members in the growth and advancement of spa and its people.
