Özgür Cengiz has been appointed as the Tourism Group Global Wellness Development Director for JOALI brand, luxury hospitality and lifestyle, since 15th February 2024.

With a stellar career spanning over 20 years in the hospitality and wellness industry, Özgür was part of the opening team of Richmond Nua Wellness, Turkey’s pioneering wellness resort, followed by a move to Jumeirah in Azerbaijan, where he was appointed to oversee the property’s operations and spa offerings.

His journey in the Maldives began in 2014 at One&Only Reethi Rah as the Director of Spa by ESPA & Fitness. In 2016, Özgür joined the pre-opening team of JOALI brand to open JOALI Maldives, the first art-immersive resort in the Maldives, as the Resort Manager, illustrating strong leadership and success. His Lifelong passion and expertise in wellness opened the path for him to open the first wellbeing island in the Maldives as the General Manager of JOALI BEING. From creating a unique concept to bringing together a network of rare talents and a wealth of unique treatments to the Maldives, Özgür built a brand recognised globally as one of the most celebrated wellbeing brands.

Along with being a member of the Global Wellness Day project, Özgür served as its Ambassador for the Maldives for 7 years. A respected panellist in international wellness circles, he is also one of the Global Spa & Wellness Awards judges. His creative approach and insights regarding new trends are widely appreciated, while his solution-focused approach inspires all those around him.

Tourism Group Managing Director of Gürok Group, Hakan Öztürk, commented about the appointment, “Wellbeing is an integral part of the identity of JOALI as a brand, for our guests and hosts alike. Özgür’s extensive knowledge and passion will truly redefine the wellness offerings for the brand from a broader perspective to take new heights as the JOALI brand portfolio expands”.

In this role, Özgür will overlook the wellness of the tourism group Gürok, the parent company of JOALI. He will be responsible for innovative activations, expansion and strategising the wellness offerings for JOALI BEING and JOALI BEING Cure.