HONOUR FOR RITA ROWE

One of the most influential figures in north west public relations, Rita Rowe, has been honoured by the industry. She has been made a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.

Managing director of Mason Williams, Rowe has been involved with the CIPR for almost 25 years and was instrumental in getting Frontline – an industry networking initiative for young people – off the ground in the region.

PRCA former director general Flora Hamilton worked with Rowe while Rowe was regional chairman of the PRCA. Describing her as tireless and inspirational, she said that lots of people have been trained the Rita Rowe way and have a lot to thank her for.

Rowe founded Mason Williams 21 years ago with partner John Williams. Today it is one of the top 10 independent consumer agencies in the UK with a client list covering famous brands in food, drink, entertainment, beauty, travel, leisure and hospitality.

Over the years Mason Williams has won more than 40 industry awards.

Committed to attaining and maintaining the highest standards of excellence and professionalism, Rowe is as enthusiastic, passionate and driven today as she has ever been.

Today with offices in London (Mason Williams opened in London 10 years ago), Manchester and Spain she maintains a high octane life-style commuting by plane and train. Invariable dressed in chic black suits and with her signature high heels she thinks nothing of working a 15 hour day; her mobile or laptop are seldom switched off.

After three years as Press and publicity officer for the Manchester Library Theatre Company she joined Staniforth Williams as Account Director and in 1986 co-founded Mason Williams.

Her first love is still the theatre and she excels at big stagey events such as the Monopoly and Cluedo World Championships and press launches like the recent glittering reopening of the Radisson Edwardian May Fair Hotel when 70 performers in five different locations within the hotel entertained 800 guests.

The list of celebrities she has worked with is legend and many like Noel Edmunds, Gyles Brandreth and Liz Brewer she now counts among her friends.

But she is also a stickler for detail involving all aspects of public relations, from the day to day running of accounts to remembering clients’ birthdays and special anniversaries.

Rowe is constantly looking for new challenges; for example Mason Williams is increasing its Spanish client base (Polaris World golf resorts and InterContinental Hotels) while the latest venture Is Mason Williams Consulting launched only this year– PR taken to a ‘deeper level’ and largely directed at businesses.

To help assuage her concern for carbon emissions and compensate in some way for all the necessary travel she undertakes Rowe has been thinking green and has planted more than 200 trees. She is also spearheading a zero carbon footprint for the agency.

With most weekends and holidays spent at her home in Majorca (the rest of the week is split between flats in London and Manchester) she can enjoy one of her favourite pastimes which is sailing. And she has a new hobby – keeping hens. In typical Rowe style she is managing her hens very professionally.

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