Beth McGroarty, [email protected]
Global Wellness Institute, 213.300.0107
Magatte Wade Appointed to Global Wellness Summit’s Board of Directors
Prominent African entrepreneur, recognized by both Forbes and the World Economic Forum for her leadership and entrepreneurialism, joins international board of directors
New York, NY – February 24, 2015 – The Global Wellness Summit (GWS) today announced the appointment of Magatte Wade, a Senegalese entrepreneur named one of the 20 Youngest Power Women in Africa by Forbes and a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, to its Board of Directors. In addition to these honors, Wade was awarded the first-ever Leading Woman in Wellness Award at the 2014 Global Wellness Summit in Morocco.
“It’s with great pleasure that I welcome Magatte to our board,” said Susie Ellis, Chairman and CEO of the Global Wellness Institute, the umbrella organization that runs the GWS. “Magatte brings a unique wellness perspective to our international organization and I’m pleased to also announce that she will head up our new African initiative which will be focused on expanding the message of Africa’s unique health, beauty and healing traditions to today’s receptive global wellness market.”
Magatte is also the founder of Tiossan, a high-end skin care line based on indigenous Senegalese recipes. Prior to founding Tiossan, Magatte started her entrepreneurial career in the US with the launch of her first company, Adina World Beverages, which became widely distributed in the U.S. and was based on indigenous Senegalese beverage recipes.
Magatte joins a board of wellness experts that spans eleven countries.
“Having the opportunity to play such a pivotal role in global wellness is an absolute honor,” said Wade. “And I look forward to helping educate the world about the extraordinary, far too little understood health and wellness traditions across Africa, a continent that is often misunderstood by the mainstream media which paints every country with the same brush. And, as a GWS board member, I’m excited about advocating for wellness tourism, which will
create a clearer recognition of the indigenous cultural identities and unique approaches to health, wellbeing and beauty in the over 50 countries that make up Africa.”
Africa – Fastest Growing Wellness Tourism & Spa Market
The Global Wellness Institute’s Africa Initiative, led by Wade, launches as new data reveals that Sub-Saharan Africa is both the fastest growing wellness tourism and spa market in the world: the former now registering 60 percent annual revenue growth and the latter rising 187 percent from 2007 to 2013. And the Middle East/North Africa region represents the second fastest growing market, with wellness tourism expanding revenues 38 percent annually and the spa industry growing 143% over the last six years1. The non-profit Spa and Wellness Association of Africa (SWAA) is an organization that was created in 2010 to develop internationally recognized standards and education — and be the voice — for the growing spa and wellness industry in Africa.
The ninth annual Global Wellness Summit will be held November 13-15 in Mexico City at The St. Regis Mexico City. The event, which is considered the world’s most prestigious gathering of business, government and academic leaders in the wellness, travel and spa industries, is expected to attract a record number of delegates. The event’s name has been simplified from “The Global Spa & Wellness Summit” to “The Global Wellness Summit,” reflecting the broad spectrum of wellness industries it now attracts and serves.
The Summit is an invitation-only gathering for senior executives, for information about attending click here. For sponsorship information, contact Michelle Gamble ([email protected]).
To learn more about the 2015 GWS, visit: www.globalwellnesssummit.com
About the Global Wellness Institute: The Global Wellness Institute (GWI) is an international think-tank that brings together leaders and visionaries from private and public sectors to positively impact and shape the future of the wellness industry. The GWI is the umbrella organization of the Global Wellness Summit (GWS) and the Global Wellness Tourism Congress (GWTC). The GWI is considered the leading global research and educational resource for the $3.4 trillion wellness industry. WellnessEvidence.com, the world’s first online portal to the medical evidence for common wellness approaches, is also a GWI initiative.
About the Global Wellness Summit: The Global Wellness Summit (GWS) is an international gathering that brings together leaders and visionaries to positively impact and shape the future of the global wellness industries. Attendees to the Summit represent diverse sectors, including spa, hospitality, tourism, health, beauty, finance, medical, architecture, real estate, manufacturing and technology. Held in a different location each year, the Summit attracts delegates from over 45 countries who work together to achieve the organization’s goal which is reflected in its tagline: “Joining Together. Shaping the Future.”
