Dafne Berlanga becomes vice president at Universal Companies

International spa and salon industry supplier Universal Companies has appointed Dafne Berlanga as vice president of global business development, specialising in equipment.

Berlanga has unique understanding of the spa and wellness industry, having previously chaired the Global Wellness Institute Sustainability Initiative and worked with supplier Oakworks as vice president of international business development.

“I am excited to spearhead global growth for Universal Companies’ spa, massage, fitness, and wellness equipment distribution,” said Berlanga.

“Now more than ever wellness is a top priority for people worldwide; turnkey solutions and design in these industries are in high demand.”

Listen and be curious

Originally from Mexico City, Berlanga began her career as a consultant with Accenture before moving to the US to work for Sybaritic, a manufacturer of touchless technologies, LED and medical aesthetic equipment.

At Oakworks, she moved into the resort-hotel side of the industry.

“Oakworks introduced me to the global wellness community,” said Berlanga, speaking exclusively to European Spa. “As a consultant, I learned to listen, to be curious, and to focus on clients’ needs. These are all key for the wellness industry too.”

“In my new role, I will have influence over all the business units, including the international teams,” she continued.

“After the pandemic, Universal Companies had to re-engineer its processes, and we’re still working on it. We built a robust, user-friendly CRM system and divided our sales teams by specialty. Now, we’re adding cross-functional roles like my new appointment. The result is a customer-oriented organisation with cross-functional experts.”

New touchless tech

Discussing her current business focus, Berlanga said: “This year, I’m searching for new touchless technologies and working on new sales tools that can make interaction with our customers a better experience.

“The wellness industry is booming, and our clients need quick access to products and services.

“However, when working on complicated projects, this can be a challenge. Our most complex orders are for openings, so I’m testing tools that make it easy for the clients to put together a project.”

Universal Companies provides operational supplies, professional products and spa equipment as well as spa development and expansion design solutions

“I believe that the pursuit of new experiences and technologies will continue in spas in the coming year,” said Berlanga.

“Regarding technology, I think we’ll continue to see new technologies but we’ll also become smarter when we select them. We won’t make decisions based on trends but on serious business analysis.”

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