Sonja Sorich
DIRECTOR OF SPA WELLNESS CONSULTING

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Sonja is an accomplished industry professional with a vast knowledge of the luxury spa and wellness market. Having 24 years of direct experience in the spa, fitness, wellness, personal growth, health retreat and hospitality industry’s, along with foundational studies in Interior Design, supports Sonja in bringing exceptional depth and consideration to our projects.

With a passion for wellness travel, Sonja's journeys have taken her to some of the best destination spas, bathhouses and healing sanctuaries around the world. Her personal and professional interests have her continually researching the global spa and wellness industry, as well as holistic therapies, wellness technologies and personal and spiritual growth programs. 

Sonja began her career in wellness as a Chiropractic Assistant and Clinic Manager and then went onto qualify in Yoga and Functional Fitness Training. Her talent for management and business development, along with her interest in holistic therapies took her into wellness clinics, fitness clubs, resort and hotel spas, and eventually Australia’s leading health retreat.

Sonja made an organic entrance into consulting when she was asked to manage a pre-opening project by One&Only, Hayman Island. From there a number of referrals led to more consulting work and the formation of Spa Wellness Consulting in 2014.

SAM DUNN
SPECIALIST CONSULTANT

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With a degree in Management & Marketing, Sam’s career started with 9 years in global advertising and market research; fields which instilled a deep commitment to innovation and strategy.

Joining the spa industry as a Spa Manager in 1999, Sam was quickly recruited to Asia where she has spent the next 20 years working across all types of spa in roles including: therapist, retailer, trainer, manager and consultant. She has developed over 46 spa & wellness concepts in 14 countries; lived in Thailand, Singapore, Philippines and China, and worked extensively throughout Asia, Middle East and the UK.

Her clients include the award winning health resorts Kamalaya and also Chiva Som – for whom she headed Business Development for eleven years. Sam has created spas for many hotel and resort brands, including: Amari, Club Med, Conrad, Dusit, Hilton, Le Royal Meridien, Mandarin Oriental, Sofitel, Taj Luxury Hotels & Palaces and many independent properties.

In 2011, Sam co-founded Destination Spa Management (DSM) which was headquartered in Bangkok and since returning to Sydney Australia has been offering her expert advice, creativity and exceptional vision to Spa Wellness projects.

JUDY CHAPMAN
SPECIALIST CONSULTANT

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Judy Chapman is an International spa and wellness consultant, designer and entrepreneur.  She provides a highly sought after, end-to-end client service, from designed wellness spas, spaces, studios and retreats  to new product development and positioning brand for impact and reach.

For 20 years, Judy has created innovative concepts and experiences for hotels, resorts, retreats, individuals as well as urban spaces.  She is also the former Editor-in-Chief of Spa Asia magazine and a Harper Collins author of four books.

Judy is passionate about making wellness available to everyone. Just some of  the destinations she consulted in include Australia, Singapore, Bali, India, Greece, the Middle East and New York to name a few. She has published over 100 articles in premium media outlets and is frequently consulted to contribute to annual trends reports for media outlets brands.  

STACEY PAGLIARULO
OPERATIONS MANAGER

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Stacey joins the Spa Wellness team bringing over 17 years of experience in the spa and beauty industry. She has worked in a variety of roles across day spas, cruise ships, beauty salons, skin clinics, hair and beauty salons, hotel spa and more.

Stacey gets a huge amount of satisfaction in supporting clients create and develop their business, and due to her extensive operational experience is extremely proficient in working through processes to achieve the highest possible outcomes.

With her qualifications and extensive experience in Beauty Therapy and Management, Stacey is adept at recruiting and training staff, as well as understanding the small details that can have a big impact on profit and cash flow for any business.

Her talent for organisation, planning, communication, people management and problem solving provides a great support to our clients and our projects. With skills in project management and exceptional attention to detail, we can rest assured that Stacey has it all handled.

STUDIO TATE
INTERIOR DESIGN

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The Spa Wellness team work within the beautiful Studio Tate office, which makes offering an in-house Spa Design service all the more practical and possible.

Studio Tate is an interior architecture practice of designers and thinkers, committed to intelligent and responsible design.

As designers of spa and wellness spaces the design team challenge themselves to create interiors and environments that resonate with the experience-driven culture.

The Studio Tate design team take a creative, collaborative and pragmatic approach to interior architecture that delicately balances craftsmanship with functionality, using a highly-considered methodology and a refined, polished finish that manifests in inspiring, deliberately resolved outcomes.

Stefania Rendina
BRANDING & DESIGN

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Stefania is a graphic designer who specialises in the fields of identity (logo) design, branding, print design, promotional campaigns, events and more. With a unique combination of training, combined with a strong passion and enthusiasm for design, that ensures her approach is strategically driven and achieves the intended results for clients. As all client’s needs are different, Stefania personalises her approach and crafts a unique solution for each brief. She brings a sense of pride and immense work ethic to each and every project. Stefania has now worked on several projects with Spa Wellness and the quality of her art is second to none. 

Stefania has a multitude of qualifications including training at the reputable and international Shillington Design College, combined with a Bachelor in Communications (Major in Advertising) and Diploma in Marketing from Charles Sturt University.

Sudharma Hiremath
GOVERNANCE & FINANCIALS

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Sudharma Hiremath hails from a former career as an Ayurvedic doctor and international spa consultant. His understanding of the spa and wellness industry along with his thorough knowledge of financials makes him the perfect feasibility consultant for Spa Wellness projects. He is the only person to have created an international standard for comprehensive auditing for the spa industry, and his approach to any task is comprehensive.

Sudharma holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Ayurveda Medicine from India, along with an Executive MBA from Switzerland. Other qualifications and skills include; certification in advanced spa management, corporate financial management, Corporate Governance, Operations Management, Risk, Assurance, Advisory, Internal Audit, Compliance, Business Continuity & Crisis Management, Occupational Health & Safety, Change Management, Project Management, Procurement, and Strategy and Execution. Since moving to Australia, Sudharma has completed his MBA and a degree in Corporate Governance.

SPECIALIST PARTNERS

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Our network of connections include experts in: 

Feasibility and Market Research
Branding and Graphic Design
Interior Design and Architecture
Hydrothermal Equipment and Design
Training and Education
Corporate Wellness
Wellness Technology
Spa Equipment
Recruitment
Holistic Wellness
Retreat Facilitation