ANNA MARIA TORLONTANO - She studied Law at Rome University and lives in Pescara, Italy. Her bridge career started in 1975 when she was elected President of the Bridge Association of Pescara. Three years later, she joined the Board of the Italian Bridge Federation and took over the women section. Starting from scratch, she managed to boost participation in national women championships to 340 pairs and 182 teams in four years time!

In 1985, she was elected to the Executive Committee of the European Bridge League (EBL). She was immediately appointed Chairman of the EBL Women's Committee, and again the results were spectacular. She was re-elected by the EBL Congress in 1987, 1991, 1999 and 2003 as an Executive, while she also served as EBL Vice President (1995-99). In 1999 she was awarded the EBL Gold Medal for her services.

Anna Maria Torlontano joined the WBF Executive Council as a member in 1993 and served until 2002. In 1999, the WBF Women Committee was founded, and she was appointed to lead this sensitive area once also at world level. She is still holding this position today. In recognition of her great services to bridge, in 2003 she received the WBF Gold Medal. She was named in Antalya 2007: "EBL Honorary Vice President ".

JOAN GERARD - Born and living in US has been President of her unit, her district, the ACBL; served on the Educational Foundation as Vice President and was a member for many years. Currently, since 1985 - a member of the ACBL Board of Directors; a member of the Uinted States Bridge Federation since 2004; represented  the ACBL on the WBF Executive Council from 1993 - 2004; Vice President of the WBF from 1999-2005; the only woman to be elected to the Committee of Honor; Chairman of Appeals and above all a driving spirit as Vice Chairman of the of the WBF Women's Committee.

MARIJKE BLANKEN (1947) - Started to play bridge at the age of 16. She was involved in bridge administration for over 25 years, organizing bridge lessons for 10 years in the village of Voorschoten - The Netherlands -, organizing tournaments in many places as a TD, being president of her bridge club in Voorschoten, secretary of the district of Leiden, member of board the Dutch Bridge Federation for eight years - in charge of PR and communications -, member of the organizing committee of the European Pairs and Mixed Championships in The Hague in 1997 as well the Bridge Olympiad in Maastricht in 2000, rewarded by José Damiani with the bronze medal of the World Bridge Federation, member of the board of the European Bridge League for six years, member of the Women's Committe of the EBL since 1999 and now since a couple of years a professional web designer. She is the designer and webmaster of this website. You can contact her at webmaster@wbfwomensbridgeclub.org.

ANNA GUDGE - Anna lives with her partner, Mark Newton, in a disused Railway Station about 70 miles from London. She has two daughters, both “grown up and gone” and a 14 year old granddaughter. Anna learned to play bridge in her 30s but never plays these days, preferring instead to spend her spare time enjoying her hobbies which include growing her own vegetables, photography, bird watching and investigating Neolithic tombs!
Anna and Mark developed ECatsBridge (http://www.ecatsbridge.com) and she works within bridge for various different organisations, including, of course, the WBF.
You can contact Anna by emailing anna@ecats.co.uk