Panelist Spotlight: Robert (Bob) Williams

Change and Disruption in the Floral Distribution Channel

Bob Williams

Education:

Bob Williams

Admiral Farragut Naval Academy (Grad. 1965)

Univ. of Vermont, (Grad. 1969 BS in Business Adm. Major Accounting.)

Darden Graduate School of Exec Education – Univ of Virginia. (Certificate in Management, Strategic Planning and Execution, Marketing, Distribution and logistics, and Finance and Human Resources, 1998.)

Industry:

WF&FSA: Past member of the Exec. Committee (Treasurer), Board member, Marketing Committee member, Mentor at several Management Institutes. Speaker at Conferences.

SAF: Served on various committees, Wholesale Council, Board Member, Executive Committee as Treasurer, President-Elect, President, and Chairman. Keynote Speaker at two conventions on Industry and Consumer Trends.

Seeley Conference Board member at Cornell University. Coordinated 2006 Conference on “The Globalization of Floriculture”.

Lectured the MBA Students at Kent State University in Ohio on Business Strategic Planning for 7 Years and served on the Business Leaders Advisory Board for Executive Education.

Married (Diane) three adult Children and five Grandkids.

Retired from the Smithers-Oasis Company in March of 2016 after 20 years as Vice President of North American Operations.

Since that time, I have stayed active as a consultant to several companies in the Industry and been an active speaker on numerous occasions when asked.

Member of American Academy of Floriculture and Professional Floral Communicators International.

Past work experience: Union Carbide Corp: Battery Products Division. I (Regional Sales Manage)

Rust Oleum Corp. (Sales and Marketing)

Sherwin Williams Company: Consumer Brands Division (Director of Sales and Marketing)

Smithers-Oasis Company: VP of North America.