Wellness brand Sensei has announced the appointment of Annika Jackson as general manager and Michael Conte as retreat director of Sensei Porcupine Creek, opening this fall in Rancho Mirage, CA. The brand has also appointed Catherine Phillips as retreat director at Sensei Lanai, A Four Seasons Resort, the brand’s first retreat location. Each of these three leaders bring extensive experience in the world of health, wellness and hospitality to the rapidly growing wellbeing brand, founded by tech pioneer Larry Ellison and physician and scientist Dr. David Agus.
Jackson, who joined the company recently, is currently heading up the pre-opening efforts and once the resort is open, will lead the management team at the property. She brings both domestic and international luxury hospitality experience, having previously served as general manager at L’Auberge de Sedona and as vice president & managing director at Enchantment Group.
Jackson first became involved with spa development in 2000 when she joined the Enchantment Group in Arizona to develop the Mii amo, a destination spa resort at Enchantment in Sedona, Arizona. In more recent years, she has been based in her native country, Sweden, where she was the managing director at Raison d'Etre based in Stockholm, which creates some of the most well-known spa and wellness brands around the world with a client list such as Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton and its sister company Six Senses Resorts & Spas.
Michael Conte
With more than 15 years of experience in the wellness industry, Conte will manage a team of specialized Sensei Guides and wellness practitioners at Sensei Porcupine Creek. Prior to joining the executive team at Sensei, Conte’s long-standing career in the California hospitality industry includes serving as the director of spa and wellness for Meadowood Napa Valley; director of spa at Montage Resort in Laguna Beach; and also opened the spa at Pelican Hill in Newport Beach. In his early career, he followed his passion for wellness to Mueller College of Holistic Studies in San Diego where he graduated as a Holistic Health Practitioner before going on to become one of the top massage therapists in Orange County. In addition to his professional work, Conte partners with the non-profit organization Greet the Day that provides free spa treatments to individuals fighting cancer as well as other organizations, including the ISPA association, Global Mentorship Organization and has served on the Forbes Travel Guide Standards Advisory Board.
Catherine Phillips
Phillips brings more than 25 years of luxury and wellness experience to Sensei Lanai, A Four Seasons Resort. She has managed luxury operations for large-scale hotel groups, including Marriott International and its Ritz-Carlton brand, as well as various independent hoteliers in California, England and the Caribbean. Phillips holds qualifications in hospitality management, holistic health, meditation, massage therapy, cosmetology and aesthetics, including luxury skincare training in Switzerland. Having grown up visiting family on Moloka’i, Phillips has a strong tie to the Hawaiian islands.
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