Anna-Cari Gund is managing director of Raison d’Etre, a global spa consulting company and wellness think tank based in Stockholm, Sweden. She is also president of CIDESCO International, the world standard for beauty and spa therapy. With over 30 years of experience in the beauty and spa therapy industry, Gund has also served as a lecturer and international examiner at beauty therapy schools, as well as a speaker at worldwide congresses and exhibition.

1. In one word, describe yourself!

Diplomatic

2. Who is your role model and why?

Grace Kelly – A combination of stunning beauty, self-confidence and class

3. What’s your personal mantra?

Worrying is pointless, it might never happen!

4. What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?

Hula hoop crisps

5. How do you spend most of your time?

Doing what I love

6. Favorite type of skin care product? Why?

Babor High Skin Refiner Crème rich – It´s the crème de la crème for my skin

7. What’s something most people don’t know about you?

I’m very keen on sport fishing.

8. How would you describe your leadership style and how has it benefited you throughout your career?

Leading by inspiring and focusing on growing people

9. What’s most important to your business: mission, core values, or vision? Why?

Vision to work towards the horizon and beyond.

10. What’s one characteristic you believe every leader should possess? Why?

Ability to inspire people to make them grow and thrive both on a personal and professional level. Great teams are made by great leaders!

11. What are the biggest trends in the spa industry?

Holistic wellbeing balance in everyday life – replacing the I in Illness with We to become Wellness

12. What is the biggest challenge facing the industry today?

Lack of well trained professionals that can perform treatments with both technical skills and a huge portion of emotional hospitality