- Leading spa, wellness, and lifestyle management firm WTS International announced recently that it named Steven Rudnitsky as vice chairman of its board
Leading spa, wellness, and lifestyle management firm and consultancy WTS International announced that it has named Steven Rudnitsky as vice chairman of its board of directors. Rudnitsky has been a hospitality leader for 17 years and has served as President & CEO of iconic industry names like Wyndham, Dolce, and Miraval. And New York-based private equity firm CI Capital Partners recently made a significant investment in WTS.
Rudnitsky is going to assist WTS and the company’s founder and CEO, Gary Henkin in executing WTS’ expansion plans, including pursuing strategic add-on acquisitions.
“We are pleased to welcome Steve Rudnitsky to our board of directors. Steve’s successful career in leading elite hospitality brands through periods of growth and transformation and in helping to build major consumer brands will be a tremendous asset to WTS as we enter this new, exciting stage of the company’s history. The respect that Steve has in our industry will be a valuable complement to the reputation we have established at WTS,” said Henkin.
WTS is known for providing management, consulting, and design services to various wellness facilities, including spas, fitness centers, and residential lifestyle facilities. And since being founded in 1973 by Henkin, WTS has expanded significantly to be a leader in the spa and leisure industry and an expert solutions provider for over 100 facilities throughout the world. The company serves premier and award-winning hotels, fitness centers, residential communities, golf and country clubs, and other private recreation and leisure clubs.
“Gary and the WTS team have achieved remarkable growth and deservedly possess a leadership position in the spa and wellness services industry,” added Rudnitsky. “This will provide a strong foundation to pursue a number of strategic initiatives that we believe will lead to great success for WTS in the years to come.”
Rudnitsky was most recently president and CEO of Miraval Group where he oversaw the sale of Miraval to Hyatt Hotels Corporation. Along with leading Miraval and Hyatt’s expanding resort, spa, and wellness businesses, he served on the board of ESPA International Ltd., a United Kingdom-based affiliate of Miraval that provides spa development, design, and management services to luxury hoteliers and property owners and develops branded skin-care products.
Previously, he worked as president, CEO, and director of Dolce Hotels & Resorts and led its successful sale to Wyndham Worldwide in 2015. Before that, Rudnitsky was President and CEO of Wyndham Hotel Group and its predecessor Cendant Hotel Group — which he joined in 2002. And before working in the hospitality industry, Rudnitsky helped build the global brands of Kraft Foods and Nabisco in executive leadership roles. Plus he also previously worked at companies like The Pillsbury Company, PepsiCo, and Johnson & Johnson.
“CI Capital works with the management teams of its portfolio companies to add expertise to their board of directors, and the addition of Steve Rudnitsky to WTS’s board of directors is an example of this,” explained Zubin Malkani, Managing Director of CI Capital Partners. “We believe that Steve’s experience and expertise will provide a uniquely qualified perspective on the spa, fitness, and wellness industry and its relationship to hospitality more broadly that will be valuable to WTS.”
