East West Connection’s employees are our greatest asset. We have 75 full-time employees with an average of 15 years of industry experience. EWC also has a network of meeting professionals who work around the world as an extension of our team.Here are just a few of EWC’s team members:
Ralph has over 30 years of experience in meeting, planning, and corporate communications. He founded EWC in 1990 and has built the company into a diverse organization. Ralph formerly headed East West Consulting, which specialized in marketing communications and public relations. He was director of marketing communications for Johnson & Johnson where he managed marketing and communications programs for the pharmaceutical sector. At Bristol-Myers Squibb, Ralph was Manager of Public Affairs, Consumer and Healthcare.
My personal passion: I’m an avid art collector and interior design enthusiast. I collect works of art during my extensive travels around the world. Making a difference in the lives of others is important to me and I want to do that by mentoring young professionals and encouraging others to dare to dream to realize their full potential.
Adrienne has been affiliated with East West Connection since 1990. She has held various management positions at the company ranging from new business development to managing sales incentive programs. Adrienne currently oversees the company’s Quality Initiative that ensures the highest standards are met at all times. Adrienne also works with government agencies on new business opportunities.
My personal passion: I love food. I spend my leisure time shopping for new kitchen gadgets, experimenting, creating unique meals, and enjoying the fruits of my labor with my wonderful family and friends.
Carol brings over 21 years of experience in all aspects of meeting and event management. Carol has led the planning of and has managed and executed conventions, medical education meetings, consumer programs, sales meetings, Advisory Board Meetings, Association Meetings and Incentive Trips. Carol has a reputation for excellence and attention to detail. Using a hands-on approach and leading by example, Carol builds strong relationships with clients, supplier partners, and local industry. Prior to joining East West Connection, Carol worked for Hosts New Orleans.
My personal passion: I do my best to operate authentically, and to make a positive difference. My quest is to always enjoy the adventures of life. One element that brings me joy is my love for music, especially the blues.
With a strong background in meeting planning, Deborah comes to EWC from American Express Meetings and Events. Deborah is uniquely qualified to lead the meeting planning team as she has served in various leadership/operational capacities across our industry. She is a results-driven professional with 20+ years of experience in global operations management, global leadership, strategic meetings management, and project management. Included in her remit was the opportunity to influence the strategic direction and implementation of a large pharmaceutical company’s Global Meetings Management program. Deborah was also afforded the opportunity to manage and support the meeting activity driven by the C-Suite of American Express and other business verticals.
My personal passion: Spending time with family and friends is what makes me most happy. Mentoring is my “passion.” Two infamous quotes that I embrace daily: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” – Lao Tzu; “Not everyone can be famous, but everyone can be great, because greatness is determined by service” – MLK, Jr.
Jackie previously worked at Janssen Research & Development, LLC. where she negotiated and maintained contracts. She was responsible for ensuring compliance with purchasing policies and procedures, and troubleshooting discrepancies pertaining to purchase orders, requisitions, supplier deliveries, prices and quality. Prior to that, Jackie served as Analyst, Meetings Management for Janssen Pharmaceuticals where she collaborated with Meeting Managers and Finance. She successfully managed spend for meetings in five continents including North America, Asia, Australia, Europe, and Africa.
My personal passion: I knit, crochet, do crafts and spend quality time with my family and 11 year old daughter on our farm in New Jersey. I look forward to visiting with family in South Africa and traveling extensively to places like Greece, Australia and France.
Linda has a distinguished career specializing in Human Resources and Office Management. Prior to joining EWC, Linda served as Office Manager for Ike Brothers Transport of Long Valley, NJ. For nine years, Linda was Human Resources and Payroll Manager for Gateway Outdoor Advertising where she was responsible for managing human resources in nine national offices planning corporate functions and events, coordinating community outreach, and overseeing corporate giving.
My personal passion: I enjoy cooking and baking with my family, and just spending time with them. I still contemplate going to law school one day. I am a youth adviser for senior high students and love being their mentor.
Sandra Heater is a Program Manager who partners with our clients to execute patient educational based programs that bring people together to form a close personal and business connection and to help facilitate understanding about disease states through a patient perspective. After spending nearly two decades in corporate accounting and administration, Sandra strives to understand the client’s needs and to deliver and exceed their expectations.
My personal passion: I am committed to understanding the needs of my customers and I believe this comes through in my warm yet professional demeanor and I strive to provide concierge level service to our clients.
Jackie comes to EWC with a Bachelor’s of Science from East Stroudsburg University with a major in Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management. She was recently a Guest Services Manager at the Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse in Florida before her return back to her Pennsylvania roots. She has an extensive background as a Catering Sales Manager for Wyndham, managing the planning and details of all events for their clients including Pharma for which she was responsible for contracts, budgets, room blocks, customer service and much more.
My personal passion: I enjoy being active; whether I am out exploring a new destination, attending a sporting event, playing sports, going to a concert or show- I am almost always on the go. Creating memories with my family and friends is also very important to me.
Leigh Johnson, is a highly motivated and personable leader with strong interpersonal skills and the ability to develop and motivate colleagues. During her career of more than 25 years, Leigh has excelled in project management, operations, client service, and planning. Leigh spent eight years at Johnson & Johnson where she forecasted, planned, developed, and executed national and regional sales meetings impacting over 10,000 attendees for four pharmaceutical franchises each year. Prior to joining EWC, Leigh was Director of Business Development and Account Management for On The Scene – The Event Company.
Emogene has 20 years of experience in event planning and project management. She has led teams responsible for planning and executing large-scale, multi-day conferences and programs throughout the United States and abroad. Prior to joining East West Connection, Emogene served as Vice President of Meeting Operations at the Urban Land Institute. There, she managed a team of seven meeting planners, and managed more than 100 meetings each year.
My personal passion: I love cooking, art, music, reading, mentoring young people, and exploring.
Mubeen has over 20 years of experience in collaboration, partnership and solution. Expert strategist, offers a rich blend of accounting, operations, administration, and leadership. Has proven track record of reorganizing, streamlining, and strengthening financial operations to maximize business performance and profitability. Prior to joining EWC, Mubeen served as a Controller for DiversityInc, a leading diversity management consultant and hosts of various corporate diversity awareness events.
My personal passion: I spend my leisure time with my wonderful family and friends on traveling, entertainment and exploring new places.
Cheryl has 19 years of corporate experience in event planning and project management. Cheryl has successfully organized multiple planning projects simultaneously while working as a Meetings and Events Manager for UC The Source, Inc. Previously at Bristol-Myers Squibb, Cheryl served as a Resource Manager where she was responsible for contract negotiations for over 60 domestic and international meetings annually. In addition, Cheryl served as the lead planner for Medical Education programs planning Advisory Board Meetings, its Speakers Bureau and Investigator Meetings.
My personal passion: I relish spending time with friends and family.
Chef Dennis, a graduate of the French Culinary Institute, brings more than 20 years’ experience to EWC, where he is our resident connoisseur of all things culinary. In addition to focusing on the dietary needs and desires of our clients, Dennis is our liaison with venues recommending tasty and creative food choices to appeal to the diversity of our clients and showcase food from around the world. Dennis is not only a chef, he’s a foodie who in his spare time loves growing food and hosting his friends at dinner parties.
A graduate of the School of Visual Arts in Photography, Dennis is also an accomplished photographer. A lover of Japanese culture, his bucket list trip is to visit Japan.
Spiro Yulis leads EWC’s Innovation and Technology Division. Over the past 15 years, Spiro has supported life science and pharmaceutical companies with the application of new technologies to solve their organizational and marketing needs. At EWC, he evaluates and applies technologies that help to improve meeting planning efficiencies and enhance the attendee experience at live and virtual events. Spiro possesses extensive experience leading teams that develop and deploy custom software solutions for the pharmaceutical industry – and applies a current knowledge of OIG, OPDP, and digital privacy guidelines.