Mia Kyricos, senior vice president and global head of wellbeing for Hyatt, has received a second award in as many months recognising her contributions to the field of wellness and hospitality.

Kyricos was named as the 2019 Cornell University MMH (Master of Management degree in Hospitality) Outstanding Alumna of the Year earlier this week in New York City. The award is given to an alumna who demonstrates “exceptional career progression and service to the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration and its students”.

“We are both excited and proud to honour Mia and all she has accomplished with this award,” said Dr Kate Walsh, Dean of Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration. “She has become a trailblazer for the wellness and spa industry, and her work is making an important difference for our industry. Mia is an inspirational role model for our students, and she shows us all what our school’s motto, ‘Life is Service’, truly means.”

Kyricos is a 2003 graduate of the programme, and was honoured at the Cornell MMH Reception at The Plaza Hotel, held annually during HX: The Hotel Experience – Rooms to Restaurants as a networking event for MMH alumni, current students, and industry leaders.

The award comes less than a month after Kyricos was named Leading Woman in Wellness at the Global Wellness Summit in Singapore.

“It’s an incredible honour to be recognised by the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, an institution that was instrumental in shaping my career,” Kyricos told Spa Business. “I’m grateful for the hospitality education I was fortunate to receive, and this award reminds me to remain curious and open-minded as I continue my career journey at Hyatt. It’s an exciting time to be at the intersection of wellness and hospitality, and I look forward to bringing wellbeing to life across Hyatt’s global portfolio.”

At Hyatt, Kyricos is responsible for developing and executing the global hospitality company’s holistic wellbeing strategy, which includes colleagues, guests and customers.

Before working for Hyatt, Kyricos served as president and CEO of Kyricos & Associates, a boutique advisory firm providing guidance to wellness-driven hospitality, tourism and healthy lifestyle companies. Prior to that, she was chief brand officer at Spafinder Wellness, where she co-founded the Wellness Travel Awards programme, which was issued annually across 40 countries at the World Travel Market.

She also has held leadership roles at Core Performance, the workplace wellness division of athletes performance firm EXOS, and at Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, where she created six international spa brands and signature wellness experiences.

Kyricos also serves as emeritus chair of the GWI’s Wellness Communities Initiative, and last year, she was a co-chair at the 12th Global Wellness Summit in Italy.