Il presidente del GEI, Dr. Lucio Caputo e l’Ambasciatore Varricchio con Gilberto Benetton, con la famosa scultura di Arnaldo Pomodoro, al momento della premiazione.
New York, 6 ottobre 2017 – Gilberto Benetton, presidente di Autogrill, ha ricevuto ieri il prestigioso “GEI AWARD” nel corso di una serata di gala tenutasi nella Grand Ballroom dell’Essex House di Manhattan, alla presenza di oltre trecento illustri ospiti che includevano personalità italiane e americane, esponenti del mondo imprenditoriale, economico, finanziario, e dei media.
Nel consegnare il premio, Lucio Caputo, presidente del GEI – Gruppo Esponenti Italiani, ha sottolineato come lo stesso sia stato assegnato a Benetton, uno degli imprenditori italiani di maggior prestigio e successo, in segno di riconoscimento ed apprezzamento per tutta l’attività dallo stesso svolta a favore dell’industria italiana e per il grande contributo dato al miglioramento dell’immagine e del prestigio dell’Italia nel mondo.
Gilberto Benetton, ha continuato Caputo, è il regista della diversificazione, avvenuta negli ultimi 20 anni, della famiglia Benetton nei settori retail, infrastrutture ed immobiliare dopo aver dato inizio nel 1965, con i fratelli Giuliana, Luciano e Carlo, all’attività di Benetton Group, società leader nel settore moda.
L’Ambasciatore Armando Varricchio, appositamente venuto da Washington, ha espresso le sue più vive congratulazioni a Gilberto Benetton per il prestigioso premio che documenta la sua lunga partecipazione al processo di crescita e diversificazione su scala mondiale delle attività del gruppo. Il nome di Benetton, ha sottolineato l’Ambasciatore, si aggiunge e si collega a quello di altri grandi italiani da Gianni Agnelli a Sergio Pininfarina che hanno grandemente contribuito all’immagine dell’Italia nel mondo. L’ambasciatore si è anche calorosamente congratulato con il presidente del GEI, Lucio Caputo, sottolineando il grande lavoro svolto in favore dell’Italia in tutti questi anni.
La premiazione ha coinciso con le celebrazioni per i 40 anni della presenza negli USA di Autogrill, leader mondiale della ristorazione per chi viaggia, e i due eventi hanno reso ancora più interessante la presenza a New York del Presidente Benetton.
Per l’occasione sono pervenuti calorosi messaggi di congratulazioni da parte del Governatore Cuomo, del Sindaco de Blasio, del Ministro degli Affari Esteri Alfano, dell’Ambasciatore Varricchio e del Presidente della Confindustria Boccia che hanno tutti tenuto ha sottolineare come il premio sia un meritatissimo riconoscimento alla famiglia Benetton ed all’attività di Gilberto Benetton.
Per la cena, preceduta da un ricevimento, è stato predisposto un menu italiano di alta gastronomia che includeva un eccezionale Ossobuco e vini di grande prestigio gentilmente forniti dalle case Bertani, Ferrari e Planeta. Per il GEI AWARD è stato stampato un elegante programma a colori che è stato distribuito a tutti gli eleganti ospiti presenti che includevano autorità e personalità italiane ed americane.
Dopo la cerimonia di consegna del premio, costituto dall’artistica scultura, appositamente creata per il GEI da Arnaldo Pomodoro, il Presidente Benetton ha pronunciato un breve discorso nel quale, dopo aver ringraziato il GEI per l’onore concessogli, si è impegnato a continuare a contribuire allo sviluppo e alla crescita internazionale dell’Italia.
Essere a New York in questi giorni, ha continuato Benetton è per me motivo di orgoglio anche perché questo anno si celebra il 40 esimo anniversario di Autogrill – la società della quale sono Presidente – con la partecipazione al New Yorker TechFest, l’iconico festival dedicato all’innovazione e alla trasformazione tecnologica. Oggi, più che mai, lo scenario in cui le imprese si misurano richiede soggetti multi-nazione, capaci, a partire dalla forza della dimensione, di competere come unici attori integrati.
E’ questo, ha concluso Benetton, un augurio di sviluppo per le società che guidiamo e, allo steso tempo, un invito al mondo della politica che sappia guardare con intelligenza e lungimiranza al potenziale di sviluppo delle aziende del nostro Paese e alle necessità che esse hanno nel più lungo periodo per essere in grado di affrontare con successo la difficoltà di oggi e le opportunità di crescita di domani.
Il GEI AWARD è una delle più prestigiose iniziative italiane che si tengono a New York ed ha premiato, negli anni, alcune delle più importanti personalità italiane ed americane fra le quali: Gianni Agnelli, Biagio Agnes, Robert E. Allen, Luciano Benetton, Guido Carli, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, Emilio Colombo, Mario Cuomo, Claudio Del Vecchio, Amalia Ercoli Finzi, Pier Francesco Guarguaglini, John E. Grettenberger, Edward M. Kennedy, Emma Marcegaglia, Vittorio Merloni, Leonardo Mondadori, Mario Monti, Gian Marco Moratti, Giorgio Napolitano, Umberto Nordio, Corrado Passera, Luciano Pavarotti, Sandro Pertini, Sergio Pininfarina, Leontyne Price, Alessandro Profumo, David Rockefeller, Renato Ruggero, Massimo Sarmi, Paolo Scaroni, Marvin S. Traub, Marco Tronchetti Provera, Roberto Vittori, Bruno Vespa ed Ellen Wolff.
Il GEI, Gruppo Esponenti Italiani, che non ha fini di lucro e che non svolge alcuna attività politica, è stato fondato nel 1974 e raccoglie i più importanti rappresentati italiani presenti negli Stati Uniti che hanno ritenuto opportuno riunirsi nel GEI per intraprendere iniziative che possano servire a migliorare l’immagine dell’Italia negli Stati Uniti.
Picture Gallery
Panoramiche del Petit Saloon dell’Essex House durante il ricevimento che ha preceduto la Cena di Gala
Panoramiche del Petit Saloon dell’Essex House durante il ricevimento che ha preceduto la Cena di Gala
Panoramiche del Petit Saloon dell’Essex House durante il ricevimento che ha preceduto la Cena di Gala
Il GEI AWARD, la famosa scultura di Arnaldo Pomodoro
Foto di gruppo dopo la premiazione. (da d. a s.) Il Console Generale Francesco Genuardi, il presidente del GEI Lucio Caputo, la rappresentante del Governatore Andrew Cuomo Dolores Alfieri, Gilberto Benetton, l’Ambasciatore ArmandoVarricchio ed il Rappresentante Permanente presso le Nazioni Unite Ambasciatore Sebastiano Cardi.
Gilberto Benetton si avvia verso il podio per ricevere il GEI AWARD
Gilberto Benetton pronunzia il suo discorso alla presenza di oltre 350 ospiti che includevano personalità italiane e americane, esponenti del mondo imprenditoriale, economico, finanziario ed oltre 65 giornalisti dei quali 38 appositamente venuti dall’Italia.
Gilberto Benetton posa con la moglie Maria Laura Pasquotti.
Il NY FC Daniel Nigro con il Console Generale Francesco Genuardi
Lucio Caputo e Gilberto Benetton si intrattengono con il corrispondente da New York dalla RAI TV Dario Laruffa
Gli organizzatori del GEI AWRD 2017: Lucio Caputo, Simona Gelpi di Autogrill e Kimberly Fry del Gei ripresi a conclusione della serata che ha riscosso un eccezionale successo.
(S. a D.) Berardo Paradiso, Loyse Paradiso, Vivian Cardia e Gabriella Carlucci al Essex House
(S. a D.): Ms. Dolores Alfieri, Deputy Consul General Silvia Limoncini, Mr. Andrew Taranto, Cons. Isabella Periotto e Cons. Chiara Saulle
Letter from Hon. Angelino Alfano, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Letter from Vincenzo Boccia, President of Confindustria
Letter from Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of the State of New York
Letter from Bill de Blasio, Mayor of New York City
Letter from Amb. Armando Varricchio, Ambassador of Italy in the U.S.
It is with great pleasure that – on behalf of GEI and myself – I extend the most cordial welcome to Cecilia Alemani, who, as you know, is also the Curator of the Italian Pavilion at the 2017 Venice Biennale.
Born in Italy, Alemani received a BA degree in Philosophy from the Università degli Studi in Milan in 2001 and an MA in Curatorial Studies from the Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College in New York in 2005.
Throughout her career, Alemani has collaborated with many museums, institutions, and foundations, and has also pursued more unconventional projects with non-profits and informal organizations.
From 2007 to 2008, she served as Curator of Special Projects for Artissima in Turin.
From January 2009 to February 2010, she served as Curatorial Director of X Initiative, a year-long experimental non-profit space in New York, where she curated many exhibitions including solo shows by leading artists. At X Initiative she conceived and organized more than 50 events including performances, panel discussions, symposia, lectures, concerts, and screenings.
She is the co-founder of No Soul For Sale, a festival of independent spaces, non-profit organizations, and artists collectives which took place at X Initiative in New York in June 2009 and at Tate Modern in London in May 2010 as the main event for the museum’s tenth anniversary.
Since 2011, she has been the Donald R. Mullen, Jr. Director & Chief Curator of High Line Art, which is presented by Friends of the High Line, and the curator of Frieze Projects, presented during the Frieze Art Fair in New York. In 2011 she also worked as guest curator for the performance art biennial Performa 11 in New York.
Alemani also served as an advisor to the Film Festival in Venice, for the category Orizzonti, devoted to new tendencies in filmmaking, and she oversaw the organization of the Future Generation Art Prize, a new prize for emerging artists established by the Viktor Pinchuk Foundation, Kiev.
As an independent curator she organized numerous exhibitions in museums, non-profit spaces, and galleries. She is a contributor to several art publications including Artforum, Domus Magazine and Flash Art.
We are very grateful that Cecilia Alemani has taken the time out of her very busy schedule to be with us here today to discuss her exciting activities for the Italian Pavilion at the 57th Venice Biennale, one of the most important art exhibitions in the world.
I am pleased, therefore, on behalf of GEI, to present Cecilia Alemani with the “GEI Friendship Award” in recognition of her many outstanding accomplishments.
The luncheon was held on June 27th in the Stella Private Room
New York, June 13, 2017- It is with great pleasure that – on behalf of GEI and myself – I extend the most cordial welcome to the Founder, Chairman and CEO of Mediacom Communications Corporation, Rocco B. Commisso.
Born in Calabria, Commisso immigrated to the U.S. at the age of 12. He attended Columbia University where he earned both a BS degree in Industrial Engineering and a MBA degree from the Graduate Business School. At the Business School, he was the recipient of the prestigious Business School Service Award.
Commisso began his business career at Pfizer Inc.’s manufacturing facility and spent a decade in the financial community, initially at Chase Manhattan Bank (now J.P. Morgan Chase) and then at Royal Bank of Canada.
From 1986 to 1995, he served as executive vice president, chief financial officer and director of Cablevision Industries Corporation. During his tenure there, privately-held Cablevision Industries grew from the 25th to the 8th largest cable company in the nation, serving 1.3 million customers at the time of its merger with Time Warner.
In 1995, he founded Mediacom Communications Corporation with the purpose of acquiring and reinvigorating cable systems. In 2000, he directed a successful initial public offering for Mediacom, paving the way for the company’s dramatic growth into the nation’s 5th largest cable television provider, with 4,600 employees serving almost 1.4 million customers in 22 states.
Mediacom, with annual revenues in excess of $1.8 billion, is wholly-owned by Rocco Commisso and his family.
In January 2017, Commisso purchased a majority ownership stake in the New York Cosmos and became the club’s Chairman. The Cosmos, the most recognized American soccer club, are now based in New York City, and we are glad to welcome the Affiliate Club Manager of the NY Cosmos, Joe Barone, as well as the Chief Financial Officer of Mediacom, Mark Stephan, and the Senior Vice President Thomas Larsen.
Rocco B. Commisso has received many honors for his activities, including the Ellis Island Medal of Honor and the NIAF’s Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition, Columbia University named its soccer venue at the school’s Baker Athletics Complex as the Rocco B. Commisso Soccer Stadium.
I am pleased, therefore, on behalf of GEI, to present Rocco Commisso with the “GEI Friendship Award” in recognition of the many accomplishments he has already made and of the ones we are sure he will make in the future.
~ Click on the Article below to open PDF ~
The luncheon was held on June 13th in the Stella Private Room
New York, May 4, 2017- Remarks by GEI President Lucio Caputo:
It is with great pleasure that – on behalf of GEI and myself – I extend the most cordial welcome to the Chief Design Officer of PepsiCo, Mauro Porcini.
Born in Gallarate, Mauro received his masters at the Politecnico of Milan in 2000. He began his professional career at Philips Design and then created his own design firm, Wisemad Srl, in Italy. His work was showcased at the Louvre in Paris as well as the Seoul Art Center.
Mauro then went on to serve as Chief Design Officer at 3M, where his mission was to build and nurture a design sensitive culture in a technology driven and global corporation. His teams, based in the U.S., Italy, China and Japan, won many of the world’s most prestigious design and innovation awards.
Mauro joined PepsiCo in 2012 as its Chief Design Officer. In this newly created position, Mauro is infusing design thinking into PepsiCo’s culture and is leading a new approach to innovation by design that impacts the company’s product platforms and brands, which include Pepsi, Lay’s, Mountain Dew, Gatorade, Tropicana, Doritos, Cheetos, Quaker, Mirinda, Sierra Mist and SunChips.
His focus as PepsiCo’s Chief Design Officer extends from physical to virtual expressions of the brands, including product, packaging, events, advertising, retail activation, architecture, and digital media.
Over the past few years, Mauro has been recognized for being a leader in design by a number of organizations: In 2011 Fast Company recognized him as one of the “50 Most Influential Designers in America” and “Master of Design” while the World HR Forum in Mumbai presented him with its “Award for Leadership and Innovation.”
In 2012 Fortune Magazine listed him in the “40 under 40” ranking – its list of “the business’s hottest rising stars” – the only designer included, Ad Age named him in their “Creativity 50” – its list of the “world’s most influential creative personalities” and the PoliMi of the University Politecnico of Milanhas recognized him withthe AlumniPolimi Awards 2012 (area Creativity) for the “great merit of contributing to enrich the Italian culture in the world”.
In 2014 Fast Company listed him as one of the “Most Creative People in Business 1000,” and he was recognized with the “PRIMIDIECI UNDER 40,” an award that celebrates the extraordinary professional and personal success of the ten most distinguished Italians in the U.S. every year.
As you can see from Mauro’s extraordinary career, he was already very successful while in Italy and that success brought him to a position of more relevance in the U.S. in one of the largest, most prestigious and most innovative American corporations. This is something that is not very common, and this both reflects Mauro’s exceptional qualities and clearly confirms that great Italians can be successful abroad where they can be fully appreciated. And that should make all Italians very proud of being Italian, as we are of Mauro Porcini and his success on both sides of the Atlantic.
I am pleased, therefore, on behalf of GEI, to present Mauro Porcini with the “GEI Friendship Award” in recognition of the many accomplishments he has already reached and of the ones we are sure he will make in the future.
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The luncheon was held on May 4th in the Stella Private Room
New York, April 24, 2017- Remarks by GEI President Lucio Caputo:
It is with great pleasure that – on behalf of GEI and myself – I extend the most cordial welcome to the President of Confindustria, Dr. Vincenzo Boccia.
Born in Salerno Dr. Boccia graduated with a degree in Economics and Commerce. He is the CEO of Arti Grafiche Boccia and, on May 25, 2016, he was elected President of Confindustria.
Arti Grafiche Boccia, headquartered in Salerno, was founded more than fifty years ago by his father, Orazio Boccia. It is an Italian medium-size manufacturing company operating in the graphic industry which has been expanding in foreign markets such as France, Germany, Denmark and Lebanon.
Dr. Boccia started his involvement with Confindustria at a very early age. In the early 90s he was Member of the Young Entrepreneurs of Confindustria, and became their national Vice President in 2000. From 2003 to 2007 he was President of Confindustria Assafrica & Mediterranean and later Member of the Council of Assografici.
From 2009 to 2013 he was President of Confindustria’s Piccola Industria, the organization of Confindustria focused on SMEs development and growth. While serving as President of Piccola Industria, Vincenzo Boccia became Vice President of the Confederation. Until May 2016, he also led the Technical Committee of Confindustria for Credit and Finance.
In his new position, President Boccia is trying to develop a bridge between the needs of companies and those of society while creating a more consistent dialogue emphasizing the special social role of enterprises for the development and life of the communities in which they work.
Under President Boccia’s leadership, Confindustria is going to face, in the very near future, many new challenges, such as the relations with the new Government that will be formed after the elections, as well as some very important problems that will span from a possible tax on the patrimony to reduce the deficit and taxes to the new American protectionism, and will include the restructuring of the different trade associations, like what was recently done with the creations of “Confindustria Moda” and their role on the export/promotion field, or the new “Made in Italy” Label proposed by the MISE, not to mention the refinancing of Il Sole 24 Ore.
It is a formidable task that will require all the enthusiasm, experience and determination of President Boccia, to whom we extend our warmest wishes and a friendly in “bocca al lupo.”
I am pleased, therefore, on behalf of GEI, to present President Vincenzo Boccia with the “GEI Friendship Award” in recognition of the many accomplishments he has already reached and of the ones we are sure he will make in the future.
~ Click on the Press Release below for the PDF ~
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The luncheon was held on April 24th in the Stella Private Room
New York, April 20, 2017: Remarks by GEI President Lucio Caputo:
It is with great pleasure that – on behalf of GEI and myself – I extend the most cordial welcome to the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Foreign Policy Association, Mr. Noel Lateef.
Born in Rome, where his family was posted with FAO, Mr. Lateef received his B.A. magna cum laude from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University.
He received a JD degree from Yale Law School, where he was elected executive editor of the Yale Journal of International Law and editor of the Yale Law Journal. After graduating in 1982, he served as law clerk to James R. Browning, the Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Prior to joining the Foreign Policy Association, Mr. Lateef was Chairman of The Bowery Savings Bank, a venerable New York-based financial institution founded in 1834. He was also previously affiliated with Sullivan & Cromwell and the U.S. State Department.
In 1995, upon the sale of The Bowery Savings Bank, Mr. Lateef joined the Foreign Policy Association as President and CEO. Noel Lateef is the longest serving President of the Foreign Policy Association, America’s first nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization devoted to citizen education in international affairs and which will celebrate its 100th Anniversary next year.
The mission of the Foreign Policy Association today, as it has been throughout its 99-year history, is to serve as a catalyst for developing awareness, understanding, and informed opinion on U.S. foreign policy and global issues.
In addition to running the FPA, Mr. Lateef is also active a member of the Century Association, the Council on Foreign Relations and numerous corporate boards. He is an adjunct professor of international law at SUNY Stony Brook and has authored over thirty publications, including a book on economic development in the Sahel Region of West Africa.
I have known Noel for many years and I have always admired his character, his limitless understanding of complex international relations, as well as his great ability to guide the Foreign Policy Association, which, under his leadership, has become one of the most influential and prestigious organizations in the U.S.
I am pleased, therefore, on behalf of GEI, to present President Noel Lateef with the “GEI Friendship Award” in recognition of his many outstanding accomplishments.
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The luncheon was held on April 20th in the Stella Private Room
New York, November 17, 2016: Remarks by GEI President Lucio Caputo:
It is with great pleasure that – on behalf of GEI and myself – I extend the most cordial welcome to GEI and to New York to the Mayor of Parma, Federico Pizzarotti.
Born in Parma, Federico Pizzarotti graduated at Primo Levi Institute, where he received a Technical Diploma with an electronics specialization.
He worked then, for over 10 years, as project manager and analyst for different banks and financial institutions and, in 2009, began his political career joining the Beppe Grillo Five Stars Movement.
In 2012, while working as project manager in information and communication technology at the Credito Emiliano in Reggio Emilia, he was elected Mayor of Parma. In 2015 he was appointed president of the Commission for Environment Policies by ANCI.
In 2016 he was investigated, as Mayor of Parma, for some appointment made in a local theater and, as consequence, was suspended by Grillo.
After the dismissal of the charges against him, Mayor Pizzarotti requested the cancellation of the suspension from the Five Stars Movement, without receiving any answer from Grillo.
Being this the situation last October 3rd, Mayor Pizzarotti announced his resignation from the Five Stars Movement. His resignation created some political turmoil in the Italian political scene and raised several questions about the democratic process inside the Five Stars Movement.
We will be very interested to hear the opinion of the Mayor on the whole process and especially on the consequences that it could have for the future Italian elections.
Meanwhile I am very pleased, on behalf of GEI, to present Mayor Pizzarotti with the “GEI Friendship Award” for his courage and for his determination in standing up for his convictions and at the same time wish him an “in bocca al lupo” for his future activities.
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The luncheon was held on November 17th in the Stella Private Room
New York, October 25, 2016- Remarks by GEI President Lucio Caputo:
It is with great pleasure that – on behalf of GEI and myself – I extend the most cordial welcome to the CEO of Lamborghini, Stefano Domenicali.
Born in Imola, he graduated in 1991 after studying business administration at the University of Bologna and immediately began his professional career with Ferrari.
In 1993 he moved to Scuderia Ferrari (the Ferrari Formula One team), where he took over as Head of Business Planning. Between 1992 and 1994, he was also director of the Mugello circuit, which belongs to Ferrari.
In 1995 he was appointed Head of Personnel in Ferrari’s sporting department and then was promoted to Team Manager in December 1996. He became Head of the Ferrari Direzione Sportiva F1 in 2004.
On November 12, 2007, Ferrari announced that Domenicali would take on the role of Director of Scuderia Ferrari F1. He became Team Principal in 2008 and in that same year, under Domenicali’s leadership, Ferrari won the “Constructors’ World Championship.”
From 2009 to 2014, Dott. Domenicali represented Ferrari in the F.I.A. World Motor Sport Council, and today he is President of the F.I.A. Single Seater Commission.
In November 2014 he left Ferrari to become the vice president for new business initiatives at AUDI AG.
On March 15, 2016, he was appointed President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini.
Since his arrival at Automobili Lamborghini, Dott. Domenicali has been involved in numerous events and initiatives. Following his first public appearance at the Beijing Motor Show in April, he inaugurated the new Lamborghini Museum at the beginning of June.
During the 30th anniversary of the use of composite materials in carbon fiber on Lamborghini’s production cars, he participated in the inauguration of the Advanced Composite Structures Laboratory last June in Seattle where I was very pleased, as many of our friends in the press who are here today, to admire a large selection of incredible Lamborghini. I even unsuccessfully proposed to drive one to New York.
During Monterey Car Week in California in August, the Centenario Roadster was unveiled as a world premiere, a tribute to the extraordinary past of Lamborghini and an anticipation of its future.
In late September, Dott. Domenicali welcomed Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi to Lamborghini in a historic moment of expansion of the company, which represents excellence of Made in Italy products.
On October 18th, Dott. Domenicali and Serenella Sferza, Co-director of the MIT-Italy Program, signed an agreement at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to create a project for the development of the super sports car of the third millennium.
I am pleased, therefore, on behalf of GEI, to present Dott. Domenicali with the “GEI Friendship Award” for all he has already accomplished and wish him an “in bocca al lupo” for his future activities at Lamborghini.
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The luncheon was held on October 25th in the Stella Private Room
IL MINISTRO ALFANO INCONTRA LA “BUSINESS COMMUNITY” DI NY
New York, 20 settembre, 2016- Il Ministro Angelino Alfano è stato oggi ospite d’onore ad una colazione del GEI, Gruppo Esponenti Italiani, tenutasi in una sala privata del Ristorante Le Cirque di Manhattan.
Accolto dal presidente del GEI, Lucio Caputo, e dagli oltre sessanta selezionatissimi ospiti, in rappresentanza della mondo economico, bancario, finanziario, commerciale e dell’informazione della città, nonché da varie personalità italiane ed americane, il Ministro ha tracciato un quadro della attuale situazione internazionale soffermandosi, in particolare, sui problemi connessi con il terrorismo e le crescenti correnti migratorie.
Rispondendo alle domande di alcuni dei giornalisti presenti, il Ministro ha illustrato poi i sistemi di prevenzione italiani che, fin ad oggi, hanno permesso di evitare all’Italia gli attacchi terroristi avvenuti negli altri paesi ed ha particolarmente ringraziato le forze dell’ordine per il loro continuo lavoro.
In precedenza il presidente Caputo aveva presentato agli ospiti il Ministro sottolineando l’importante ed impegnativo lavoro svolto in uno dei periodi più difficili della storia Italiana e, dopo essersi congratulato per il lavoro svolto nell’interesse del paese, gli aveva consegnato il “GEI FRIENDSHIP AWARD”.
Un momento particolarmente toccante si è avuto quando, il presidente Caputo ha ricordato Carlo Azelio Ciampi ed in particolare il GEI AWARD consegnatogli il 6 ottobre 1998 ed il grande ricevimento in suo onore del 15 novembre 2003, pochi giorni dopo l’attacco di Nasiriyah, quando oltre 2,500 Italiani ed Italo Americani avevano, calorosamente ed affettuosamente, accolto il Presidente Ciampi in occasione della sua visita a New York. Di fronte ad una standing ovation di tutti i presenti Caputo ha concluso dicendo: “Ciao Presidente, ci mancherai, we will miss you…… “
It is with great pleasure that – on behalf of GEI and myself – I extend the most cordial “welcome back” to New York, to the Italian Minister of Interior, Angelino Alfano.
Angelino Alfano was born in Agrigento and graduated from the Università Cattolica of Milan. He is a lawyer, with a Ph.D. in business law from the Università of Palermo. He has also been a freelance journalist since 1989 and has collaborated with numerous regional and national publications.
In 1996 he was elected to the Sicilian Regional Assembly, the youngest member of the Assembly. From 1998 to 2001 he chaired the parliamentary group of Forza Italia and in 2001 was elected to the Italian Parliament.
From 2001 to 2006 he was a member of the Budget Committee, the Commission for Regional Issues, the Commission of Inquiry on the Telekom / Serbia deal and of the Legislation Committee.
In addition to carrying out intense legislative activity, he has been supervisor of the budget law and of the budget of the state for the 2003 fiscal year. He was re-elected Member of Parliament in 2006 and in the subsequent 2008 election.
In May 2008, Angelino Alfano was appointed Minister of Justice (again the youngest in the history of the Republic) in the Berlusconi government. Elected political secretary of the “Popolo della Libertà” in July 2011, he resigned his position of Minister of Justice to fully devote himself to the party.
In February 2013, he was re-elected member of the Italian Parliament for the “Popolo della Libertà” and in April was appointed Interior Minister and Vice President of the Council of Ministers in the Letta Government.
In November 2013 Alfano founded the “New Centro Destra,” of which he is president. In the second semester of 2014, he was president of the Internal Affairs Council of the EEC.
On February 22, 2014, he was appointed Minister of Interior in the new Renzi government.
In this position he promoted and contributed to the approval of the decree to fight international terrorism that became law in April 2015.
He is president of the “Fondazione De Gasperi” and has published several books, such as “La mafia uccide d’estate” (2011) and “Chi ha paura non è libero” (2015).
In recent years, Minister Angelino Alfano, has been holding one of the most difficult positions in the Italian Government. A position that requires a lot of expertise as well as a clear understanding of the problems, which put the Minister at the forefront of numerous emergencies of different kinds that require fast action 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
In this position, Minister Alfano has shown great skill and professionalism, acquiring authority, respect and recognition. All this, as well as his service to the country, deserve appreciation and gratitude, and I warmly congratulate him.
I am pleased, therefore, on behalf of the group, to present Minister Alfano with the “GEI Friendship Award” for all he has already accomplished and wish him an “in bocca al lupo” for his future activities.
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The luncheon was held on September 20th in the Stella Private Room
THE GEI FRIENDSHIP AWARDS
TO SCALFAROTTO AND SCANNAVINI
New York, June 28, 2016 — Hon. Ivan Scalfarotto, the new Undersecretary at the Ministry of Economic Development, and Michele Scannavini, the new President of ICE-Italian Trade Agency, received today the “GEI FRIENDSHIP AWARDS” from GEI President Lucio Caputo.
The ceremony was held during a GEI Breakfast in their honor in the private room of Le Cirque restaurant, with a capacity audience of GEI members, VIP, Italian and American authorities and press.
In his introduction, Dr. Caputo illustrated the career and the accomplishments of the two awardees, underlining the significant roles that they have received in an important sector of the Italian economy and commerce.
In their speeches, Hon. Scalfarotto illustrated the present Italian political situation and the activities that the Government is presently conducting, and President Scannavini detailed the various actions that ICE-Italian Trade Agency will take in support of Italian exports.
In the photo (L to R): Ambassador Armando Varricchio, President Michele Scannavini, Hon. Ivan Scalfarotto and President Lucio Caputo
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Today I am very pleased to welcome to New York and to GEI, the new Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Economic Development, Hon. Ivan Scalfarotto. I am also pleased to welcome the new President of ICE – Italian Trade Agency, Michele Scannavini. On behalf of GEI, please accept our congratulations on your appointments and our thanks for joining us this morning.
After graduating with honors in Law from the University of Naples, Hon. Scalfarotto spent 20 years in management positions for Italian and international banks in the Human Resources field. Between 2002 and 2009, he lived and worked abroad, first in London and then in Moscow.
For Undersecretary Scalfarotto, his first direct involvement in politics began in London the summer of 2005 with the London-based Italian group, “Libertà e Giustizia.”
In 2007 he joined the “Democratici di Sinistra.” He was elected to the Constituent Assembly and appointed to the Commission charged with drafting the new party’s statute.
In October 2009, he was re-elected to the National Assembly, of which he was elected vice president. In March 2013, he was elected to the Chamber of Deputies.
In February 2014, Hon. Scalfarotto was appointed Undersecretary of the Ministry of Reforms and Relations with Parliament in the Renzi government.
In 2010, he founded “Parks – Liberi e Uguali,” a non-profit organization of businesses committed to implementing equal opportunity policies for their LGBT employees, and to creating a culture of inclusion and respect for all in the workplace.
He was Secretary of State to the Prime Minister from February 2014 to April 2016, when he was appointed Undersecretary at the Ministry of Economic Development.
I am, therefore, very pleased – on behalf of GEI, – to present Hon. Ivan Scalfarotto with “GEI FRIENDSHIP AWARD,” wishing him the best success in his new position.
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We are equally pleased and honored to have the presence of President Michele Scannavini, whose impressive business career in both Italy and the United States is well-known.
President Scannavini graduated in Business management at Bocconi University in Milan in 1984.
From 1984 to 1990, he served as Brand Manager at Proctor and Gamble, then was Marketing Director at Galvani, before becoming Vice President of Marketing and Sales at Ferrari in 1992.
From 1992 to 2002, he was CEO of Fila, and then in 2002, began his decade-long presidency at COTY Prestige. Under his leadership, net revenues and profit materially increased. He went on to serve as CEO of COTY from 2012 to 2014.
He then served as Board Director and Business Advisor at Tod’s, and was Member of the Investment Committee for E’ Novia.
On June 1, 2016, Italy’s Council of Ministers selected Michele Scannavini as President of Agenzia ICE.
I am, therefore, very pleased – on behalf of GEI, – to present President Michele Scannavini with “GEI FRIENDSHIP AWARD,” wishing him the best success in his new position.
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The breakfast was held on June 28th in the Stella Private Room
