John Alschuler is the Executive Chairman of Therme Group US, a company devoted to the creation of large scale, accessible, wellbeing facilities across North America. Since 1973, John has worked with cities, civic organisations, and developers to solve complex urban development challenges and create financing strategies for distinctive places like the High Line, the Anacostia Waterfront, Daniel Island, D.C.’s City Center, Rice University Innovation District, Santa Monica Promenade, and 3CDC’s Urban Development Strategy in Cincinnati, among other locations. In 1984 John founded HR&A Advisors, a national real estate and economic development consultancy, spending the last 38 years as Chairman of the Board. In 2009, John was elected Board Chair of Friends of the High Line. John serves on the boards of SL Green Realty Corporation, Sag Harbor Cinema Arts Center, Macerich, and Xenia Hotels & Resorts. John holds a Bachelor of Arts from Wesleyan University and a Doctorate from the University of Massachusetts.

As President and Chief Strategy Officer, Robert Hammond leads Therme Group US’s product, programming, and strategic development. A pioneering urbanist and placemaker, Robert served for over two decades as Co-Founder and Executive Director of the High Line, where he led the transformation of an abandoned elevated railway line in Manhattan into an iconic urban park. Prior to launching the High Line, Robert supported the creation of online businesses in the public health and travel commerce industries and served as an ex-officio member of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Board of Trustees, as well as Liberty Expedia, a formerly publicly traded travel company. . He has been awarded the Vincent Scully Prize, the Rome Prize by the American Academy in Rome, and the Rockefeller Foundation’s Jane Jacobs Medal, along with Joshua David. A graduate of Princeton University and recipient of an Honorary Doctorate from The New School, Robert is also a Vedic meditation teacher.

As Minister for National Development since 1999, Mr Mah guided Singapore’s physical development through sustainable land use planning and urban development. Mr Mah spearheaded the conceptualisation and implementation of Singapore’s downtown development, Marina Bay. He set up and co-chaired the Inter-Ministerial Committee for Sustainable Development (IMCSD), which published the blueprint for Singapore’s sustainable development to cultivate Singapore as an efficient, clean and green city state.

Mr Tan Boon Khai was the Chief Executive Officer of JTC Corporation from Sep 2020 to March 2025. Prior to this, he served as Chief Executive of the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) from May 2015 to August 2020. Boon Khai joined SLA from CapitaLand Limited, where he had been since 2010. During his tenure at CapitaLand, he held various senior management positions, including Regional General Manager (Singapore and Malaysia) at The Ascott Limited. Boon Khai started his career as a Justice’s Law Clerk and Assistant Registrar at the Supreme Court of Singapore and has also worked in both the private sector and public service in various legal capacities. Boon Khai graduated with First Class Honours in Law from the University of Nottingham in the UK in 1995 and was called to the Bar with Lincoln’s Inn, UK. He was also an Advocate and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore.

Leading the development of Therme Korea, Mrs Kim brings over 30 years of business experience. This includes experiences in diverse international hotel chains such as Intercontinental Cairo Citystars, Staybridge Residence Cairo, Sheraton Heliopolis, and Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza. Mrs Kim has extensive experience in indoor garden landscaping, with a special interest in orchid gardens. She is eager to combine her love and knowledge of flowers with the Therme concept and introduce a healing urban natural oasis to Korea. She is also a board member of the Korean Woman’s International network (KOWINNER) under Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, Vice Chairman of World Federation of Korean Association of Commerce and Royal FloraHolland partner member.

Taking charge of strategic planning and operations of development for establishing Therme in Korea. Prior to joining Therme Group Korea, Stella has diversified professional experience. Starting careea as a Marketer of Event Planning in an industry leading Company in Korea worked as team for the promotional event projects for Global Group Companies such as BMW, Samsung Electronics, Kyobo Life Insurance and official governmental summits.

Viorel is the CEO of Therme Group China and also serves as VP of Energy and Engineering on the Therme Group Worldwide Executive Advisory Board. An experienced diplomat, he played key roles working in various government departments, particularly in the energy sector. Among his many achievements were promoting and developing the economic relationship between Romania and China, as well as coordinating the energy sector in the 16+1 Central and Eastern Europe cooperation with China.

David was appointed Chief Executive of Therme UK in July 2023 following a successful three-year tenure as Chief Executive of the joint venture between The Russell Partnership Collection and Therme Group. In the Therme UK CEO’s role David will deliver Therme Groups’ mission of ‘wellbeing for all’ – for individuals, communities and the environment. David was honoured with the Welcome Skills Lifetime Achievement Award for his total commitment to the Hospitality and Leisure industry and in 2022 was recognised as a Legend of Industry. David created and built the UK’s largest Food and Technology Consultancy for over 30 years, in over 30 countries. David read Hospitality Management at Leeds, is a Freeman of the City of London, a Professor of Tourism, Hospitality and Leisure and a qualified nutritionist, he is named in the list of most influential individuals within hospitality in the UK, has presented over 500 global keynote addresses and published an excess of 200 articles.

Robert Solomon is one of the leading experts in corporate leadership, investment, and finance. Among his responsibilities are investment strategy and the strategic setup and implementation of corporate and international financing structures. On an organisational level, he is also in charge of market analyses and planning operational endeavours.

Patricia Popescu is the Head of Architecture at Therme ARC, where her competence in architecture, design, and strategic planning has enabled her to expand and refine Therme Group’s practical expertise in how it builds its facilities. Prior to joining Therme Group, Patricia ran a private architecture practice, where she gained experience across diverse areas including interior design, commercial, and urban planning. Patricia is a graduate of the Ion Mincu University of Architecture and Urban Planning in Bucharest, holding an MArch. She is also a member of the Romanian Order of Architects

Walter Klas is a master craftsman with a diploma in interior design. After several years as managing director and project manager in a large carpentry company he entered advanced training in interior design at the State Centre of Distance Studies in Darmstadt, Germany and graduated with a diploma. In 2012 he joined the Wund Group as Director of Interior Design. Walter Klas has been appointed COO of Therme ARC DE since 2023. In this function he was responsible for the interior design of the new large thermal spa projects and hotels in the Black Forest Titisee Neustadt, in Bad Wörishofen and Sinsheim, in Erding near Munich and Euskirchen near Cologne. He joined Therme ARC in 2018 in the function “Head of Interior Design”

The work of Professor Burmeister is characterized by pursuing excellence in engineering. Optimizing structural solutions to create architectural freedom is part of his performance spectrum. The aim is to realize structures that are, of course, safe, but also economical and beautiful. The solid basis of consequent optimization is the application of numerical simulation together with expertise in design and construction. His work as a VP of Technology is characterized by implementing high-tech numerical simulations to a broad spectrum of engineering solutions out of structural engineering, machinery and plant engineering together with automotive applications. His scientific lecturing activities focus on structural dynamics, stability and nonlinear behaviour.

Michael Keefer supports and performs the development and dimensioning of complex geometrical structures under static and dynamic aspects. The analysis of mechanical components is part of his expertise. He holds a graduate degree in civil engineering from the University of Stuttgart and joined Delta-X in 2007.

With an engineering degree in construction engineering (University of Stuttgart) Lutz joined the company in 2000. The design and construction of innovative structures has been the focus of his work as a project manager. The projects he works on include long span lightweight roofs, innovative buildings and movable structures.

Viorel is the CEO of Therme Group China and also serves as VP of Energy and Engineering on the Therme Group Worldwide Executive Advisory Board. An experienced diplomat, he played key roles working in various government departments, particularly in the energy sector. Among his many achievements were promoting and developing the economic relationship between Romania and China, as well as coordinating the energy sector in the 16+1 Central and Eastern Europe cooperation with China.

With a career in design and construction consultancy, Andreea has more than 15 years’ experience in construction and installation design. She has contributed to numerous national projects as a project manager and design engineer for plumbing and fire safety. She has been a certified fire safety engineer by IGSU since 2013

As a mechanical engineer, Daniel is experienced in both the design and development. He coordinates a team of engineers, ensuring efficiency across all Therme MEP’s activities including taking responsibility for the technical department. Daniel has experience working for several engineering companies, in the development of assembly departments for water supply and firefighting systems, as well as on the design of HVAC systems. Daniel was awarded a PhD scholarship at the Polytechnic University in Grenoble and was a teaching assistant at the Faculty of Building Services Engineering, in Bucharest (Department of fluid mechanics)

Cristian leads and coordinates all processes on the construction site. With his team of supervisors and project managers, he keeps track of all processes from detail execution planning, material allocation to managing the huge complexity of coordinating over 600 companies on site. His responsibilities include budgeting, negotiations with suppliers, logistics, deployment, scheduling, quality control and safety management. Cristian’s vast expertise includes all domains of construction, from concrete and steel works over electric, hydraulics, ventilation and heating systems, Cristian’s leadership is needed in the complex stages when the crafts interweave. Being an integral part of the Therme team from day one, Cristian manages to keep all parties on the construction site on track at the same time and succeeds to maintain collaboration frictionless between the different companies at all times. In his 10 year record of construction supervision, he directed building projects of virtually every size, scope and purpose. Before Cristian worked in Construction, he headed an HR department in Germany, where he was responsible for 20 000 employees. Cristian started his career as a public administration specialist, the insights from this time into public administration and respective procedures continue to serve him well in submission and permit processes until today.

Cristian graduated from Technical University of Civil Engineering in Bucharest with a BSc in Civil Engineering and furthered his education in the UK, graduating with a MSc in Structural Engineering. He started his career in Manchester, UK, performing design and assessments for buildings subjected to extreme loads such as blasts and earthquakes and completed projects in Middle East, South East Asia, South America, Europe and the UK. He then furthered his career in Construction Management working on the Leicester Square Edwardian Hotel contributing to the delivery of one of the most complex projects in Central London. Cristian returned to Bucharest in 2019 to take on a project management role with a Belgian industrial and commercial buildings contractor contributing to securing new projects and managing on-going ones. Within Therme Group, Cristian’s responsibilities include budgeting, planning, preparing procurement packages, negotiating with suppliers, quality control and working together with the other companies in the Group to develop a thorough Construction Management System. Along with his team of project and site managers, he ensures that all parties on the construction site are kept on track and succeeds in maintaining frictionless collaboration between different companies.

Before joining Therme Group, Mariana was involved in the events & exhibition industry, for 18 years holding various positions within the biggest exhibition center in Romania, including Managing Director. Mariana holds a bachelor’s degree in Marketing & International Relations, followed by post-graduate studies in Human Resources Management, Quality Management and Trade Fair Management. With an eye for details, she manages to see beyond the obvious in our projects and brings new ‘out-of-the box’ ideas and improved strategies, by setting and overcoming new boundaries. Alongside her team, Mariana is one of our key assets in developing insightful projects with the highest level of outcomes.

Mihaela is a vital member of the Therme XPR team. With extensive knowledge gained from over 15 years in marketing and project management, she has a keen sense of devising and delivering projects that make a major positive impact. Mihaela has a strong background in market analysis and helps the whole team to understand and evaluate large data sets using the best professional techniques. Most of all, she always seeks new insights in all areas, delivering high-quality studies that are the cornerstones for future developments.

With 15+ years of experience in branding, digital media, art-direction and with more than 200 developed UI & UX projects, John oversees all design efforts at Therme Group, ranging from branding and marketing implementations to Therme proprietary software and applications. Prior to joining Therme Group, John worked with acclaimed brands, such as Rolex, Shell, Sony, FC Utrecht, Ajax Amsterdam, Finamore, WeFashion, Pololine, Lagardere, Nepi Rockcastle on projects ranging from complete m-commerce platforms to brand experiences and digital consumer activations. John holds a Bachelor’s degree in Management & Marketing from the Romanian-American University in Bucharest, Romania

Oana Popescu is Therme Media’s Head of Media Production with an experience of ten years in performing arts, video-production, advertising and marketing. Her creative and dynamic personality helps bring our media content to life, making sure our projects express Therme Group’s values and experience in the most compelling way. Oana holds both a BA and an MA in Theatre and Performing Arts from the National University of Theatre and Film “I.L.Caragiale”, Bucharest.

With an extensive background in advertising, Stefan keeps following his passion of finding beautiful and creative solutions to real-life challenges. After working for international FMCG, telecom brands and shopper marketing accounts, Stefan wholeheartedly joined Therme Group as a driving force for creative excellence. As Therme Media’s Head of Creative, he works with his teams to deliver creative work which captures the essence of the Therme Group concept.

Edelfried Balle is VP of Digital System Integrations for Therme Group Worldwide. As of 2017 he has been CEO of the entire WUND Group West in Germany. Previously he was a member of the executive board and Chief Financial Officer of several companies and real estate projects within the WUND Group, which he joined in 2010. After his academic graduation in 1987 he immediately assumed a superior management assignment in a large German construction company. In 1990 he opened his own company. The firm consulted to construction companies in the fields of business, economics, and IT development. It was sold successfully after four years. His subsequent career took him to senior management positions as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in large international construction enterprises, including F. KIRCHHOFF AG and STRABAG AG. Throughout his career his main field of competence has been in strategic business development, reorganization, and restructuring.

Eduard R. Goean possesses a diversified professional experience and set of skills which cover key areas such as diplomacy, strategic business growth and entrepreneurship. As General Consul of Romania’s diplomatic missions in the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macao, Mr Goean was the architect of the negotiating strategy used by the Romanian delegation to successfully conclude strategic partnership agreements with political representatives of Asia-Pacific states and with regional investors. He was also a key member of the respective negotiation teams. As a member of the Board of Directors of several Romanian companies, Mr Goean was an active member of specialist strategy teams focused on optimising business portfolios, identifying new investment opportunities and exploring innovative ways of improving productivity in a variety of industries.

Elvira Calugaritoiu is the Executive Vice President of Corporate Operations at Therme Group, where she leads the operational finance team, overseeing HR, F&B, and ERP implementation. Prior to joining Therme Group, Ms. Calugaritoiu was a board member at Domo Retail SA, having previously led their expansion. As a board member, she coordinated developments from site evaluation through to negotiation, acquisition, and restructuring and network strategy team. Before joining Domo, Ms. Calugaritoiu had been a leading role in the expansion of Kaufland Romania, a company of the world`s leading retailer Schwarz Gruppe. Ms. Calugaritoiu holds a BBA from the Academy of Economic Sciences in Bucharest, where she graduated summa cum laude in Management, Marketing and Accounting.

After gaining an engineering degree in construction management from the University of Karlsruhe, Heiko Wollmann joined the WUND architectural firm in 1997 as a project manager. After the successful completion of very large projects—among them, several hospitals, the Hanover Fairground in Germany, and the Innsbruck Football Stadium in Austria—he was appointed to the executive board of the WUND Group of Companies. He is in charge of the development of all new Therme Group projects and leads the existing operations of the largest spa facilities in the Black Forest, Sinsheim, and Cologne-Euskichen.

Philipp H. Treml is the Global VP of Tech-Ventures at Therme Group, where he supports the integration of complex technologies in various investments around the world. This includes leading the team that implemented the geothermal heating and treatment installations at Therme’s Bucharest facility. Prior to joining Therme Group, Mr. Treml oversaw the development and implementation of new technologies with A-Heat AG and its subsidiaries in Germany, Hungary, Mexico, and Indonesia. Mr. Treml holds a BSC in Molecular Biotechnology from the University of Applied Sciences in Vienna, Austria.

Mr. Maelzer joined Therme Group in 2018 as a full member of the team and is in charge of the Leisure Department at Therme. Mr. Maelzer is the co-founder of WiegandMaelzer GmbH, a company dedicated to the sale, development and realization of leisure facilities in water and theme parks. With twenty years experience in the leisure industry, Mr. Maelzer has implemented world-class award winning attractions, from various Therme projects, up to custom solutions on cruise ships. Mr. Maelzer holds a MBA degree from the University of Innsbruck, as well as an Engineering degree from University of Applied Sciences, Innsbruck.

Frank is a recognised expert in the spa industry in Europe for management, operations and strategic development. The reorganisation of companies in the fields of sports, health, tourism and leisure industry and public infrastructure have been the focus of his activities. In Hessen, he was the initiator of Puplic-Private-Partnership projects between the private and public sectors and realised important infrastructure projects in a city of health in the Frankfurt am Main region and a state garden exhibition with a financial volume of € 70 million. Until joining the Therme Group team, Frank was the managing director of BäderBetriebe Frankfurt GmbH, managing a municipal company with 13 swimming pools and more than 500 employees. In Frankfurt am Main, he succeeded in launching a future concept for the sports and leisure pools with a volume of over €200 million in 2019.

Roksana Ciurysek-Gedir is a Board Member of Therme Group, where she contributes to shaping wellbeing as essential civic infrastructure — integrating health, prevention, and human experience at scale. She brings over twenty years of leadership experience in global finance, having held senior roles at institutions including Credit Suisse, Edmond de Rothschild, JPMorgan, Merrill Lynch, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. From 2018 to 2020, she served as Deputy CEO and Vice President of the Management Board of Bank Pekao, and was previously President of Pekao International. Alongside her board responsibilities at Therme Group, Roksanais the founder of Possible X, a platform through which she explores how science, systems thinking, and creativity can be translated into human-centred outcomes with long-term societal impact. Her work reflects a conviction that wellbeing should not be treated as a luxury, but designed as foundational infrastructure for communities and cities. Roksana is also active at the intersection of sustainability, innovation, and culture. She is an executive producer of Nuclear Now, directed by Oliver Stone, examining the role of nuclear energy in the global energy transition. An international speaker, she has lectured at leading institutions including Stanford University, the CFA Institute, the Milken Institute, and the World Economic Forum. She was recognised as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and is a CFA Charterholder and YPO member.