Miraval Group announced the appointment of Elizabeth Blair as CEO.Miraval Group announced the appointment of Elizabeth Blair as CEO.
Miraval Group announced it has invested in ESPA, a leading provider of luxury spa and wellness products and services. Headquartered in London, ESPA has more than 450 luxury spas in 50 countries worldwide, including ESPA Life at the Corinthia Hotel, London; the Spa at Gleneagles by ESPA; the Metropole ESPA in Monte Carlo; the Aqualina Spa by ESPA in Miami Beach; and the Ritz-Carlton spas by ESPA in Hong Kong and Shanghai. ESPA will continue to be led by CEO Michael Harmsworth and Chairperson Sue Harmsworth.
Additionally, Miraval Group announces the appointment of Elizabeth Blair as CEO and Andrea Persily as CFO. Together, Blair and Persily will lead Miraval Group’s expansion into new destinations in the United States, Europe and beyond.
Elizabeth Blair most recently served as CEO of 24 Hour Fitness, the second largest U.S. fitness club operator and the last portfolio company of Forstmann Little & Co., which was acquired by private equity investors in May 2014. Prior to joining 24 Hour Fitness, Blair co-founded and served as CEO of the internet marketing firm Brand.net, acquired by Valassis. Previously Blair spent nine years at Yahoo!, where she served as senior vice president of business operations. Prior to Yahoo!, Blair was a member of the mergers and acquisitions team at Primedia, a KKR portfolio company. Blair received a Bachelor of Arts from Yale University and a Juris Doctor from Harvard University.
Andrea Persily most recently served as COO and CFO of SpaFinder, the world’s largest media, marketing and gifting company for the wellness industry. During this time, she acquired and integrated SpaFinder Europe, launched and operated Welltech, a startup seed fund, and spun off the Booker.com division into a venture-funded company. Prior to SpaFinder, Persily spent 10 years at Primedia, a KKR portfolio company, leading corporate strategic planning and serving as COO of its B2B publications and CFO of its internet operations. Persily received a Bachelor of Arts from Cornell University and Master of Business Administration from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
[Image courtesy of i.d.e.a.]
