Jeff Matthews is stepping down from Mandara spa and its parent company Steiner Leisure after 20 years with the company, most recently as president and COO of Mandara Spa Asia.

Matthews will start his own consultancy, Spa Foundations, effective 1 October, and will be based in Canada and Asia, but will work in locations around the world that will not be in competition with Mandara, he said.

"I am seeing a real need in the industry to bring both the spa company or consultant together with the hotel, and create contracts that have a win for both sides and not one that has each party unhappy two years down the road," said Matthews.

"I am committed to creating and building a spa that sees an ROI in 3-5 years, and not something that has no bottom line value," he continued. "I want to bring a sense of wellness to the hotel spas, but one that makes commercial sense."

Trent Munday will take over for Matthews at Mandara. Munday has been with the company for ten years, most recently as vice president at Steiner Spa consulting, and “is well-equipped to take on the upcoming challenges,” said Matthews.

Munday commented: "The Mandara Spa we see today is a testament to Jeff's vision and commitment over many years. We are indebted to him for the trail he has blazed and wish him the same success in his next iteration.

"I am grateful for the opportunity to take the baton from Jeff and look forward to the road ahead," he continued. "The challenge before us is to ensure we continue to evolve so we remain relevant to an increasingly savvy and demanding spa consumer."