Elemis | Minds Behind the Making

minds behind the making

Every product, treatment and spa created by Elemis is about achieving a purpose, a goal and finding results that haven’t been seen before. To achieve this mission day in day out wouldn’t be possible without the commitment, vision and drive of the people of Elemis.

Elemis is about the entire team; marketing, PR, sales, accounts, HR and distribution and without these dedicated people, Elemis would not be the success it is today.

This team of loyal personnel is headed by the industries most knowledgeable, passionate and forward thinking experts of Séan Harrington, Noella Gabriel and Oriele Frank. From Elemis’ inception in 1989 to the phenomenal brand it is today, they create the vision, and drive the Elemis team to bring that vision to life.

A key figure in Elemis’ success has been the ongoing support of Jan Kusmirek, one of the world’s leading authorities on organic ingredients, Essential Oils and medicinal plant extracts. His expertise has enabled Elemis to discover some of the world’s most cutting-edge ingredients and manufacturing techniques to guarantee every product delivers maximum results.

Séan Harrington, Managing Director

Séan Harrington, a leading figure in the international spa industry, has spearheaded this dynamic company since 1990. Travelling the world, researching and carving a niche for Elemis in the global spa industry, Séan has continued to push the international expansion of the brand.

Back in the early nineties, Sean embarked on the start of an exciting journey. As outlets grew and demand for the product increased, Séan became the driving force behind the new vision of Elemis in 1998. This new concept went on to position Elemis at the cutting edge of the professional spa industry and set Elemis on a path to success. Séan is an inspiration in the spa world, finding new avenues and development opportunities around every corner. Never being afraid to try new ideas and always challenging the brand to be the best it can be, Séan is often seen as devils advocate, demanding from his team that every new concept is the ultimate the industry has to offer. If it doesn’t meet these standards then it is back to the drawing board.

By travelling, researching and enveloping himself in the industry Séan has been behind every milestone of Elemis; the UK development and international global expansion, the new vision of Elemis following the merger with Steiner Leisure in 1996, the launch of the Elemis day-spa London and its new spa-therapy menu in 2001, the ground-breaking new anti-ageing range in 2003 and the biggest landmark to date of launching into retail in the UK, USA, Thailand and South Africa in 2006.

Oriele Frank, Director of International Marketing

Oriele Frank is the creative force behind Elemis, challenging and developing the vision and concepts and making them a business and marketing reality. Since joining Elemis in 1993 she has been responsible for the Elemis brand's development and design, continuing to drive Elemis’ strategic direction.

Oriele’s professional marketing background, love of Eastern cultures and alternative therapies has led to the development of a brand that is always one step-ahead of the rest of the industry. Oriele has fast become an industry expert in product concept, design and delivery of interiors, packaging and visual merchandising. Never compromising, the brand you see today, from its incredible formulations to its luxurious spas, its retail concept to award winning marketing, comes from Oriele’s pure determination and commitment to pushing the boundaries of the Elemis brand to be totally unique and innovative.

With this success comes greater demand. Today, Oriele is working on the next generation of results-driven skincare and bodycare, finding cutting-edge technologies that will enable Elemis to continue formulating products that break new ground to keep Elemis’ place at the forefront of the skincare and spa market.

The Elemis flagship day-spa in Mayfair has won many awards and accolades. Oriele has been closely involved and is currently working on a ground breaking and exciting new spa concept and refurbishment project for the Elemis day-spa, London. Working alongside the designers on interiors, furnishings, fixtures and fittings to the choice of room colours and silk drapes, Oriele has been completely dedicated to delivering the ultimate interior environment. The Elemis day-spa is her vision realised.

Oriele has also been a key influence behind the innovative Elemis retail concept, working closely with Séan and Noella in pioneering the change of the department store experience. Through the visionary creation of the Elemis SpaBar, Elemis SkinLab and Elemis SpaPod, the Elemis customer can now experience results-driven spa-therapies via a 30-minute Power Booster Facial in a department store environment.

Noella Gabriel, Director of Product and Treatment Development

Noella Gabriel is renowned as one of the world innovators and developers of cutting edge spa-therapies and skincare products. Her specialist knowledge and hands-on skills have seen her become a leading voice in the skincare and spa industry. Noella travels the globe sourcing the latest ingredients for the award winning anti-ageing skincare range and looking for the latest developments in spa-therapies. As a result, she has a unique understanding of a wide variety of cultural techniques, which she has incorporated into the exceptional Elemis spa experience.

Noella was trained in Ireland where she attained CIDESCO and ITEC, enabling her to open her own salon in Cork. From here she moved to Dublin to work as a beauty therapist, while studying for a business qualification and teaching beauty therapy in the evenings. Noella’s drive to learn about holistic therapy took her to New York where she studied Shiatsu, Reflexology and Aromatherapy for three years. On completion of her studies she returned to the UK to manage the Beauty Spa in Harvey Nichols, London.

In 1990 Noella joined Elemis where she created the first face and body spa-therapies, embracing all of her skills, experiences and personal values. Since then, for every new treatment and product innovation that Elemis introduces, Noella is the brains behind it, bringing science and lifestyle together.

Noella’s approach has always been to devise spa-therapies and then use these as the platform for her inspiration for new product development. Her success at predicting beauty trends and sourcing new ingredients whilst incorporating the two into results-driven products has led to many of the products reaching award-winning status. One of Noella’s key achievements has been the introduction of the Elemis anti-ageing System, initiated by the launch of Pro-Collagen Marine Cream. The first anti-ageing product to be launched by Elemis and to undergo clinical trials won a cult following overnight and was responsible for positioning Elemis as a key pioneer in the anti-ageing market. Following the success of Pro-Collagen Marine Cream Noella decided to further challenge industry standards and launched the most advanced treatment to the market … the Elemis Visible Brilliance Facial – the first facial to undergo clinical trials and deliver exceptional results. This revolutionary spa-therapy has raised the customer’s expectations of facials in the market today.

Ultimately, Noella is responsible for setting trends and challenges for the brand and as a result, defining the next level of skincare and therapies for Elemis.