Ralph Taylor Mr. Ralph Taylor was appointed to the Board of Directors of Barbados Shipping & Trading in 1995. He is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer of Almond Resorts Inc., serving previously as Chairman. Mr. Taylor has been in the hospitality industry since 1971, rising through the ranks from Assistant Accountant to the position of Managing Director. He is credited with introducing the all-inclusive resort concept to Barbados. He is presently the Chairman of Barbados Tourism Authority, having served previously as Deputy Chairman. He has also served in the capacity as the Chairman of the Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA), the CHA Charitable Trust, Chairman of the Barbados National Tourism Marketing Committee, and former Chairman of the Advisory Council of the Minister of Tourism in Barbados. Mr. Taylor is also a former president of the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association. His peers in Caribbean tourism recognized his contribution to the industry naming him "Caribbean Hotelier of the Year" in 1995. Because of his success in developing a Caribbean region public/private sector Tourism Marketing programme, the prestigious international industry publication, Travel Agent Magazine, named him "Caribbean Person of the Year" for 2002. He is a member of the Hotel Catering Institute Management Association (MHCIMA), and holds the designation of Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA) from the American Hotel and Motel School. « back