Pulse October 2018 | Page 53

Michelle adams somerville Jill carlen the Woodstock inn & resort Hilton Worldwide Michelle adams somerville has worked in spa operations throughout her career and takes pride in being able to create meaningful guest and employee experiences. From an early age, Michelle has never shied away from taking leadership positions, naturally progressing from varsity sports captain to the point of being self-employed at age 22. In 2015, she earned an MBA with a Concentration in Leadership and continues to feed her never- ending thirst for knowledge. Michelle is currently the Spa and Wellness Director for the Woodstock Inn and Resort, devel- oping wellness and programming while also overseeing the Racquet and Fitness Center. A dedicated member of the International SPA Association, Michelle has served on several task forces including the Focus Group Task Force, Volunteer Committee and Speaker Task Forces respectively. as an exchange student in high school, Jill Carlen lived near a lavender farm in France. It was during this time when she learned about the healing properties of lavender, marking the beginning of a lifelong passion for wellness. Jill would move to New York City later in life, where her love of everything spa led her to work in some of the city’s most renowned spas including Exhale, Bliss, the St. Regis New York and Deepak Chopra. In addition, she launched multiple spas and wellness facilities while working at the prestigious consulting firm Lexi Design. Jill then went on to run The Ritz-Carlton, Toronto, winning Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Hotel Spa Award. She didn’t stop there – Jill followed it up by launching L’OCCITANE Spas all over North America. Most recently, Jill has joined the Global Wellness team at Hilton Worldwide as the Global Director of Spa Concepts, where she has the platform to partner her creative background with her success in making spas profoundly transformative and profitable. FUN FACT: Michelle teaches a business class for massage students at her local community college. FUN FACTS: Her first career was as a professional singer touring the world with a Broadway show and singing with gladys Knight. Jill’s hobbies include HIIT, traveling, attending live music events, anything on or near the water and taking her little dog Annabelle on adventures. October 2018 ■ PULSE 51