MSpa International has announced the appointment of Deirdre McGuinness as group director of spa and wellness - Asia.

Founded in Thailand in 1999, MSpa* is the spa management arm of Thailand-based hotel and spa operator Minor Hotels. The subsidiary operates more than 70 spas worldwide under its home-grown Anantara Spa and Avani Spa brands.

McGuinness will now be responsible for creating the business strategy to develop Minor’s spa and wellness brands globally while overseeing operations with a strong focus on driving commercial performance and enhancing guest experiences.

Minor describes McGuinness as an accomplished commercial leader with more than 20 years of experience in the global luxury hospitality industry, including roles at established brands such as Mandarin Oriental, Gulf Hotel Group, Belmond, Baglioni Hotels and Resorts and Nikko Hotels.

McGuinness transitioned into the wellness sector in 2018 as a consultant for Fast Track and later at Biogenic Wellness, where she honed her brand strategy, product development and commercial leadership capabilities.

Before joining Minor, McGuinness was global commercial director at Maxx Royal Resorts, where she developed the commercial and trade marketing strategy that positioned the brand internationally.

*More about MSpa International

In recent years, MSpa has delved deeper into integrative health practices and now manages several wellbeing facilities in Thailand. These include Vivid by Verita drip bars; AvaniWell at Avani+ Hua Hin Resort; Anantara Wellness at Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort; and Layan Life by Anantara in Phuket.

MSpa also operates the Longevity Hub by Clinique La Prairie at The St. Regis Bangkok, the first of its kind in Asia from the renowned Swiss medical clinic and wellness destination.

For more on MSpa’s wellness initiatives, read Spa Business' exclusive interview with Dillip Rajakarier, group CEO of Minor and CEO of its parent company called Minor International.