Richard Williams & Associates Team

Bob Eason has 20+ years of public relations, advertising and video experience. A writer by trade, his expertise includes the development of communications strategies and programs, creative planning and execution, brand promotions, event planning, guerilla marketing and video production.

Bob worked at The Martin Agency, a major international advertising firm, prior to moving to Boston. While there he developed award-winning communication and promotional programs for such high profile accounts as SAAB Cars USA, Columbia Health Care, Finlandia Vodka, the Robert Wood Johnson Community Collaborative for Youth, Seiko, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Vanity Fair Lingerie.

Bob also worked in corporate communications for one of the nation's largest Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans, and as a copywriter and writer/producer for several advertising agencies and video production companies.

Janet Eason has over 20 years experience in the US advertising industry.

Her particular expertise includes the development and implementation of marketing and brand strategy as well as all facets of client management. She spent ten years at Arnold Worldwide serving as SVP, Media and Marketing Director overseeing clients such as McDonald's, Virginia Lottery, Eskimo Pie, Dominion Energy and the Coalition on Organ Donation.

After moving to Massachusetts, Janet joined ISM, a Boston marketing firm specializing in travel and leisure marketing. She served as Partner, EVP and Director of Strategic Planning while working on brands including the Barbados Tourism Authority, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, American Express Travel Services, The Islands of the Bahamas, Emirates Airline, Best Western International and Mayakoba. During her tenure at the agency, Janet created and implemented a brand development process, which led to powerful brand strategies, informed creative and actionable marketing plans for her clients.

As the inspirational branding force at RWA, Janet infuses client presentations with an energy and passion which effectively communicates her commitment to the project success. She has an infectious commitment to the hospitality industry coupled with a keen awareness of modern consumer demands both of which make her a high demand participant at RWA and a valuable resource in both strategic and tactical planning.

Born and raised in the UK, Gillian has a diversified travel and tourism
background with a career dedicated to building revenue, partner
relationships and new business development. She is recognized for her
successful branding projects and her skills in driving complex
marketing, sales and product development programs on a global basis.
In moving to Canada, her early career included experience with
prominent tour and travel companies and Gillian was actively involved
in the Canadian travel industry being chosen Toronto President and
Regional North America Director of the International Federation of
Woman’s Travel Organizations as well as serving as the Travel Service
Supplier Representative on the ACTA National board.

After joining Alamo Rent A Car, she was relocated to UK as head of European Sales and Marketing where she led the company’s successful effort to build a bridgehead in that market. After returning to the USA, Gillian established the International Marketing Department for Alamo.
In Fort Lauderdale, Gillian held executive positions with the Certified Vacations Group with responsibilities for new business acquisition, product planning and design, all partnerships, alliances and
relationship management with tourist boards, airlines and major international hotels and resorts.

Over the years, she has developed a keen appreciation for the opportunities in hospitality travel distribution across both travel industry and consumer platforms. Gillian is an energetic force in the North American travel marketplace and a central player on the RWA team.

A native of Waterford, Ireland, Mary has established a wide range of proven leadership skills and a remarkable track record of success in luxury hospitality sales & marketing.

Her ability to introduce and implement high impact strategies led to her appointment as Vice President of Marketing & Product with Travel Impressions and after her departure, she took up the role as Director of Marketing for the Consumer Travel Network at American Express.

Her subsequent experience at Ritz Carlton built on her extensive knowledge of the luxury travel market as well as her affiliations with travel consortia including, Virtuoso and Signature. In widening her experience base, Mary also held executive sales positions with Celebrity Cruises and Interval International where she worked in both the Las Vegas and
the Philadelphia markets. Her understanding of the timeshare and fractional real estate industries enables her to provide a unique perspective to clients with both hospitality and real estate product.

Mary’s overall experience provides her with a unique industry vantage point which in turn has positioned her as an invaluable asset serving RWA clients.

Diana Biederman was named one of Gotham Magazine's™ "7 most connected New Yorkers". She most recently helmed all public relations facets for New York's famed "21" Club. During her tenure, the restaurant appeared on network and local television nearly 100 times. Prior to a stint at fashion bible WWD, Diana was Director of Public Relations for Warnaco's Authentic Fitness Corporation, responsible for America's best-selling swimwear brands including Anne Cole™, Cole of California™, Catalina™, Speedo™, Polo Ralph Lauren™, Oscar de la Renta Swimwear™ and a multitude of junior brands.

Diana also worked at the prestigious fashion and luxury goods public relations firm Jody Donohue Associates. Her career began at Grey Advertising, where she worked on clients including ABC Television; HarperCollins; Puerto Vallarta and Barbados, before joining David Kratz & Company, a New York public relations firm.

Diana has written for SELF™ and American Fitness™ and was on the reporting team for the 1995 Conde Nast Traveler Gold List.

Although she was born in Britain, Helen Parris has lived all of her professional life in the Western Hemisphere and enjoyed a career almost exclusively in the Hotel and Tourism industry. A hotelier by training, Helen joined the management team of Hilton International in 1976, initially as Director of Corporate and Incentive Sales for the 1,200-room Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal. From there, she was transferred to Head Office in New York as Director of Sales and Marketing for the Hilton International in Barbados.

After subsequently relocating to Barbados, Helen spent eight years with Hilton. She then left the hotel giant to become a partner in Sunmark Limited, managing the Barbados National Reservation System, the first totally computerized hotel and ancillary tourism service reservation system in the Caribbean. In 1985 Helen developed Sunlink, a new Destination Management business, and as CEO, spearheaded its growth and development with offices in Barbados and St. Kitts, a multimedia and marketing office in Florida, and the company’s expansion into Antigua and Grenada.

Today, Helen is a leading global specialist in the business of meetings, incentives, and event management. She is a member of the Society of Incentive Travel Executives and a founding and past Board Member of the Caribbean Chapter. She was the founding President and past Board Member of the Association of Destination Management Companies in Barbados and also sits on the Business Advisory Board at the University of Miami.

Well known in the Caribbean region for his time with the Caribbean Hotel Association, Alex continues to be active in the areas of research, project design and implementation. An experienced consultant, trainer and facilitator, he has opened and managed several new hotels in Europe, and was Director of Training & Development for a major European hotel company (Crest Hotels) before working in the international arena in Europe, South Asia and the Caribbean.

A fellow of the Institute of Hospitality (FIH) and a Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (MCIPD), he also holds an MBA from the Open University of the UK. He has been involved in Caribbean tourism for over 20 years. He has held several positions with the Caribbean Hotel Association, in training/HR and product development, having spearheaded standards development projects in the Caribbean (HOST and CARIBCERT) and also in South Asia. He has managed several multi-million $ projects related to human resource development, investment and product development with a particular emphasis on the tourism sector.

Alex is experienced project manager with strong negotiation and communication skills with hands on international experience.

Christine Fleet has over 30 years of operations experience in the
hospitality industry and has a comprehensive understanding of
business challenges and success factors. Her specialty is hotel &
resort new openings and in particular assisting properties to take
their customer service to the next level, especially to attain their
fifth diamond or star.

She has served at the executive level of five-diamond properties
and has opened no less than six hotels as Director of Training,
four of which were award winning Four Seasons hotels or resorts.
Most impressively, in every case, each of the six properties
attained the coveted AAA Five Diamond Award.

Christine is a dynamic and highly skilled trainer, with extensive
experience in designing, developing and presenting results and quality oriented programs. She is able to convey sophisticated knowledge of guest service expectations to management and line staff through practical, focused and fun training programs. Her training manuals have been used internationally, both to open hotels and to upgrade the service at existing hotels, resorts, spas, restaurants and golf courses.
In addition to standards and guest service training, her focus is on Leadership Development, and she delivers a wide range of learning opportunities for hospitality leaders.

Christine highlights her extensive hospitality experience through diverse programmes to help a wide range of businesses such as resorts, hotels, spas, restaurants and golf courses, governments and seniors’ facilities, to improve their customer service and to promote effective leadership. She brings her international and multi-cultural skills, experience and expertise to each project, providing unique and personalized training opportunities to each property.

She is a dynamic addition to the RWA team.

Contact our travel tourism marketing and advisory firm in New York, New York, to gain
experience working with some of the hospitality industry's most celebrated professionals.