I left a stable office and quality management career to pursue my passion for wellness and holistic therapy. It marked my shift from a conventional job path to one rooted in personal fulfilment. It also gave me both technical therapy skills, understanding and purpose, setting the foundation for everything that followed in my career. I am also proud to hold the position of the Irish Spa & Beauty Association General Manager role for since 2013, which on do on a voluntary basis.

I truly admire the co-founders of the Irish Spa Association Anita Murray and Peigin Crowley and what they have achieved in their personal businesses. I am also very lucky to be supported by wonderful colleagues in particular in The Kingsley over the last 10years. My career path has also been guided during this time by our General Manager Fergal Harte along with our HR Manager Catriona Sheehan.

I have worked for Fota Collection for 18years starting initially as a Spa Therapist in Fota Island Spa to my most recent role of Group Spa Development Manager at both Fota and The Kingsley.

I split my time between both locations depending on where needs my support the most on that particular day. My role is demanding, and includes developing revenue, facilities and our teams. I also oversee our Spa Therapist Care Programme and Team Development Plan, this is something I am particularly proud of. Challenge would be it’s a very competitive market so we need to be ever evolving, innovative and an exceptional employer as finding and retaining spa therapists is not easy. Daily tasks include manager walks, team meetings, pace and financial reporting, future planning.

Staff recruitment, retention and leading our teams can be challenging on top of an already busy workload. However I know without a strong team the business cannot succeed. With this in mind we purposely invest a lot of time and resources developing our team. We treat our team as professionals and people, not just service providers. With that in mind as part of our therapist care programme we have implemented:

-Treatment quotas (to prevent fatigue)
-Dedicated wellness spaces for therapists
-Flexible schedules and mental health check-ins
-Regular training by both internal trainers and external brands
-Extended time off when needed

We know this works for us as we probably have the biggest spa team in Cork.

The variety of the role and collaboration with other department teams. Culture is created by everyone, I love to help keep it centered on wellbeing. I lead the GPTW committee at The Kingsley, helping the hotel win:

-The Wellbeing Award 2024
-Recognition as one of Ireland’s Top 20 Medium Workplaces
-Move from no 16 in medium sized businesses to no 6 in just one year

We have also seen a significant increase in our score from our employees over a 3 year period.

At The Kingsley I also lead KWell. This a a wellness team specifically designed to run staff events and activities to promote team-wide mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing across the entire hotel.
Our initiatives include:

-Wellness Wednesdays (guest speakers, meditation, creative therapy)
-Sunday Fundays (spa team bonding & decompressing)
-Check-ins and support tools for burnout prevention

We believe we have empowered a culture of wellness that goes far beyond the spa.

Empathetic & people oriented. I am resilient & adaptable, I can see a vision and understand how to get us there together. I am collaborative and passionate about what I do.

I completed courses in CIBTAC beauty therapy, ISO Quality Management, NVQ admin courses, computer courses, many leadership courses through Failte Ireland, Skillnet etc. A lot of my training has been on the job.

Quality Management training and leadership training.

- GM of ISA being part of such an incredible supportive community 
- Therapist Care Programme and presenting this to spas around Ireland with the hope of creating a better future for our spa industry and our professionals
- Career progression from therapist to overseeing the success of both of our spas

Empathetic & people oriented.

Yes it offers me the flexibility to pursue other interests outside of my normal working day such as the ISA. Taking time off and switching off after work to enjoy time with my family has always been supported. I know this is not always the case in the hospitality industry.

You have to be a people person and have an understanding in the industry. Don’t get lost in the financial aspect, create a strong team that believe in the vision and everything else will come.

• Calm under pressure
• To be a leader
• Problem solver

For now I don’t have any free time for further education however in time I would love to do spa consultancy so will do a course that will help me to break into this field.

To have an understanding for the industry it would be very valuable to have beauty therapy training and experience. Office/admin training will also serve you very well.

Group Spa Development Manager at Fota Island Resort & The Kingsley