The Global Spa & Wellness Summit (GSWS) has appointed Mia Kyricos, president of Kyricos & Associates, and Veer Singh, chief executive officer of Vana Retreats & Hotels to its board of directors.

Both Kyricos and Singh are experienced spa industry veterans. Kyricos is a former director of global spa brands and programming at Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide and founded her own spa and wellness consultancy in 2012. Prior to that she was vice president of Core Performance, where she oversaw the operation of corporate wellness centers and programmes for Fortune 500 companies.

Veer Singh, CEO of New Delhi-based Vana Resorts & Hotels, is currently developing a new venture which combines results-driven wellness offerings with contemporary luxury hospitality. He also heads other initiatives of the India-based Max Group, a diversified company with divisions in health care, research, insurance and film.

Commenting on her appointment, Kyricos said: "The spa industry is now at a critical point in its development, and has significant opportunities to exert influence in a number of critical areas of the global economy from wellness tourism to job creation.

"I believe GSWS offers a great platform by which to make a case to a wide range of stakeholders about the relevance and impact of our business, and I'm honoured to be part of it."

The board has also named Susie Ellis as the new chair & CEO of GSWS. Ellis, president of SpaFinder Wellness, was a founder member of GSWS and has served on the board since its launch in 2007.

Pete Ellis, the previous chair will become chairman emeritus and Alexandra Plessier has been appointed logistics coordinator.

GSWS is a global summit, dedicated to bringing leaders and visionaries together to shape the development of the spa and wellness industries. This year's event, entitled "A Defining Moment", will take place in Jaipur, India, from October 4-7.

For more information on GSWS and the 2013 Summit, click here for www.globalspaandwellnesssummit.org.