Vilalara Longevity Thalassa & Medical Spa

He is the Longevity co-founder, shareholder and leader, who is guiding the evolution of Longevity Wellness Resort and Longevity Medical Spa into an internationally acclaimed brand that offers today’s health-conscious consumers the chance to optimize their lives on every level. His main responsibilities are to harness financial and human capital and drive their full potential and alignment towards realizing the Group’s vision and business goals. Uniquely prepared to oversee the development of a global wellness brand, he distinguished career has spanned a host of business and philanthropic interests. Prior to launching Longevity, he served as CEO of the Aga Khan Foundation in Portugal, where he was immersed in social development and poverty alleviation issues, managed endowment strategies, and came to further understand that corporate leaders must be committed to social responsibility. He also served in management positions with Watson Wyatt, Millenium BCP and Swiss Re, where he discovered the importance of aligning human capital with business strategy, and learned a lesson that has served him well at Longevity: There is Always a Solution for Any Problem. He received executive management training from the International Institute for Management Development, Lausanne, Switzerland, and also attended the University of Waterloo, Canada, where he graduated with honours in Mathematics-Actuarial Science.

A highly experienced spa management professional with a distinguished background in developing and operating leading spas throughout Portugal, she joined the team at Longevity Wellness Resort Monchique in March 2010 as chief wellness officer and director of the Longevity Medical Spa. She has overall responsibility for all facets of the Longevity Medical Spa’s multi-discipline, cutting-edge program, from public relations, project development, and honing and reinforcing the facility’s concept, to human resources, recruitment and training. Prior to becoming director of Longevity Medical Spa, she had risen to become one of the leading figures in the country’s spa industry, recognized for her accomplishments in conceptualizing, developing and operating top spas in mainland Portugal and on the Portuguese island of Madeira. At Longevity Medical Spa, she has taken her distinguished career to a new level as the innovator and driving force in molding one of the world’s most highly recognized medical wellness spas. Passionate about helping guests create a healthy lifestyle and find personal well-being, she has been instrumental in shaping and implementing a unique and highly effective wellness concept at Longevity Medical Spa that has set it apart.

She is a consummate medical professional whose vast medical education and experience, spanning 40 years, has prepared her for the key role of Clinical Director of the Longevity Medical Spa practice. She has dedicated her life to medical healing and has become a leading specialist in disciplines that are critical to the Medical Spa program, from acupuncture and ozone therapy to aesthetic medicine. She joined the team at Longevity Medical Spa as Clinical Director in September 2011, assuming responsibility for the medical aspects of the many disciplines and programs. She began her career in 1972 when she was accepted into the Faculty of Medicine of Porto, where she earned a doctoral degree in Medicine and Surgery in 1978. This was the beginning of a lifelong pursuit of ever-greater medical knowledge and skill. She completed her internship and became a doctor in residence at Vila Real Hospital in Porto, and taught pathology at the College of Nursing. In 1983 she began studying Oral and Maxillo Facial Surgery at San Antonio General Hospital in Porto, earning a degree in 1987. During and after the training, she was a speaker and lecturer at numerous courses and conferences related to the specialty. In 2002, she received a diploma in Acupuncture from the Center for the Instruction of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid. Starting in 2003, she devoted herself to Aesthetic Medicine, taking many courses in the specialty, from laser and aesthetic dermatology to injectible treatment for wrinkles, peelings, bioplasty and cellulite treatment. She received the degree of Master of Aesthetic Medicine at the Brazilian Society of Aesthetic Medicine, Rio de Janeiro, and a degree of University Expert in Anti-Aging Medicine at the University of Seville, Spain. In 2010, she earned a degree in Ozone Therapy Training and Performance from the Spanish Association of Medical Ozone Therapy. She is a member of the Brazilian Society of Aesthetic Medicine, the Spanish Society of Anti-Ageing and Longevity Medicine, and the Spanish Association of Medical Ozone Therapists.