RICHARD LA FONTAINE

*** ********** **** ***

North Providence, RI 02904

401-***-**** 760-***-****

prjgtq@r.postjobfree.com

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Overview

~ Travel and Hospitality Expertise Encompassing Airlines, Hotels, and International Real Estate ~

Highly motivated, dedicated, and results-oriented professional with extensive management experience in the travel, leisure, and hospitality industries working for brand leaders including Delta Air Lines, Continental Airlines, Marriott International, and The Walt Disney Company. Also possess strong real estate sales and marketing experience. Undergraduate degree in Marketing, and an M.B.A. in International Studies from Boston College, plus various language certifications. Fluent in English and French, conversant in German and Italian, and currently learning Spanish. Comprehensive international experience. A collaborative team player and leader with a proven ability to motivate top-performing teams, manage new initiatives, and increase revenue, profitability, market share, and customer satisfaction.

Areas of expertise include:

* Marketing, Sales, Promotion

* Client Relationship Management

* Customer Service

* Strategic Planning

* Training

* Brand-Building

* Loyalty Programs

* Sales Team Management

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Highlights of Career Accomplishments

Sales / Revenue Growth

* Ranked as a top performer in airline and travel-related sales at Continental Airlines, earning coveted promotion to work for The Walt Disney Company through a cross-hiring agreement.

* Consistently achieved the highest sales volume of any outbound sales team selling vacation real estate in Marriott/Ritz Carlton branded luxury resorts. Led team to meet and exceed all targets and goals. Achieved $1.1 million average monthly sales volume versus average sales of $780,000.

* Played a key role increasing TWA transatlantic market share by 6% over four years through effective leadership of sales and customer service teams.

Business Development

* Opened and managed a real estate brokerage firm to sell property in a newly constructed luxury resort development at Smugglers' Notch, Vermont. Hired, trained, and motivated licensed sales agents and developed business and marketing plans that effectively targeted the affluent market segment in southeastern Canada and the northeastern United States. Achieved annual sales of $12.8 million and successfully sold out the development after three years.

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Career Chronology

DELTA AIR LINES

June 2005 - Present

Crown Room, Corporate Membership Sales

* Market, sell, and provide premium airport services to Delta's most loyal and lucrative customers.

* Serve as Delta's protocol liaison to industry leaders, foreign dignitaries, national political figures, and celebrities.

* Previously provided and sold Special Member Services in the SkyMiles Department, Delta's frequent flyer loyalty program.

THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY, Orlando, Florida.

Aug. 2003 - Jun. 2005

Travel Sales

* Marketed and sold travel packages to both the consumer and travel trade segments through a direct hiring agreement between Continental Airlines and The Walt Disney Company.

* Deployed Disney's highly specialized sales and customer service strategies, including the Disney approach that welcomed their guests, as "cherished friends".

CONTINENTAL AIRLINES, Tampa, Florida

Feb. 2002 - June 2003

Travel Sales Specialist

* Marketed and sold airline travel for both consumer and corporate customers.

* Researched and promptly resolved any and all customer service issues.

* Consistently exceeded departmental sales goals, and gained Continental's "Elite" sales status for both airline and travel related sales.

MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL, Tampa, Florida

May 2001 - Jan. 2002

Vacation Real Estate Marketing Manager

* Promoted and marketed an international network of luxury resorts for Marriott and Ritz Carlton.

* Developed and executed strategies to cross-sell products and build brand loyalty.

* Managed, trained, and motivated a high-performing outbound sales team of thirty-two associates.

BOSTONIA PROPERTIES, Boston, Massachusetts

June 1998 - April 2001

Commercial / Residential Broker Associate

* Marketed and sold residential and commercial properties in the greater Boston area.

* Realized almost $2.7 million in sales in 1999 and over $3 million in 2000.

SMUGGLERS' NOTCH REALTY, Smugglers' Notch, Vermont

Oct. 1993 - May 1998

Managing Broker

* Founded and managed a real estate brokerage firm that handled all sales for a luxury ski resort development project on behalf of The Diamond Corporation.

* Developed and implemented a marketing plan successfully targeting affluent buyers in metropolitan areas of southeastern Canada and the northeastern United States.

* Hired, trained, motivated, and supervised a team of nine sales agents.

* Achieved $12.8 million in average annual sales from 1994 to 1997.

TRANS WORLD AIRLINES (TWA), Paris, France & other global locations

April 1975 - April 1991

Director of Customer Service, European Division

* Progressed through various roles within the company including senior-level management positions in both customer service and sales in Europe and the United States.

* Led major initiatives to grow market share, customer satisfaction, and profitability.

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Education

BOSTON COLLEGE, Newton, Massachusetts

-Bachelor of Arts, Marketing

-M.B.A., International Studies

THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF LANGUAGES, Paris, France; Munich, Germany; Florence, Italy

-Certifications in Advanced French, German, and Italian

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Additional Certifications

* Certified Travel Counselor.

* Licensed Real Estate Broker in five states.

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Affiliations / Activities

* Member of ARC and IATAN.

* Certified Volunteer for the U.S. National Ski Patrol.

* Volunteer, Big Brothers of America.

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Computer Skills

* Include the following marketing, sales, and hospitality programs: Apollo, CMS, Deltamatic, DeltaNet/Portal, DL-Term, GDS, Microsoft Office (Access, Excel, PowerPoint, Word), Sabre, SAP, SAS, SBC, Siebel, Sonic, and Worldspan.

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