William D. Rondina

Founder, CEO and Chairman, The Connaught Group

In the early 1980s, designer Bill Rondina had a revolutionary vision: to offer superior, contemporary women's clothing by appointment only. Bill knew that doing so would offer women the personalized service and attention to detail that were sorely missing from most conventional shopping experiences. Thus the Carlisle Collection was born, bringing together a skilled design team with best-in-class production and sales resources. As Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Connaught Group, Bill oversees both the Carlisle and Per Se collections, as well as Etcetera, an affiliated brand and company.

"I am proud to be consistently and creatively delivering couture-quality clothing with a personalized level of service directly to our clients," Bill says. "Today, more than ever, our clients enjoy a level of quality that they would easily pay twice as much for in retail stores. What's more, the service that we offer is extraordinary."

Bill attended the University of Washington and studied at the Sorbonne in Paris before honing his design skills at the Parsons School of Design in New York City. He continued building his career as a design assistant at the prestigious Seventh Avenue firms of Ben Zuckerman and Christian Dior. With a passion for both excellent design and personalized service, Bill operated his own design studio from 1973 until 1981, when he founded the Carlisle Collection.

Bill is a member of the Carnegie Hall Board of Trustees and is on the New York Botanical Garden Board of Directors.