Executive recruiter Robin Stewart and associate Jennifer Copeland joined executive search firm Hutchinson Consulting, which specialises in placements in the hospitality, spa and wellness industries.

Stewart was formerly COO and director of recruitment at two large insurance offices in New York and Los Angeles. Copeland worked previously with executive search firm Korn Ferry International.

Hutchinson reports that it placed 21 candidates in the first quarter of 2017, and has also expanded its foothold in the Southeast US, as executive recruiter Sheri Claflin recently relocated to Lexington, Kentucky. It has also expanded outside the US, with placements in Mexico, Europe, India and other parts of Asia.

“Hutchinson Consulting is experiencing sustainable growth as a result of our stellar team. Demand for qualified hospitality and wellness professionals is at an all-time high, and we are delivering qualified, thoroughly vetted executives,” said Bill Hutchinson, owner and co-founder of Hutchinson. “For the first-time ever, Hutchinson has added wellness titles to its database portfolio, due to an increase in demand for placement of Wellness positions. Our largest areas of growth have been in placing wellness positions, international hospitality candidates and those in the medi-spa space.”

Hutchinson’s future plans include further expansion of new market opportunities, such as private estate management and senior care living, as well as working with their hospitality partners to explore new wellness models in hotels and resorts.

“Wellness is here to stay,” said Michael Tompkins, executive recruiter at Hutchinson and immediate past chair of the International Spa Association. “The explosion in wellness-oriented experience represents a fundamental shift in consumer demand. Real estate developments, hotels and resorts are incorporating spa and wellness not only in the spa department, but into other aspects of the hotel, such as programming, rooms, meetings, and food and beverage.”