WILLIAM J. AMELIO NAMED HONOREE OF 2022 COLUMBUS CELEBRATION WEEKEND

William J. Amelio, Executive Chairman and Co-CEO of DoubleCheck Solutions, will join Grand Marshal Tom Golisano in Columbus Citizens Foundation's 2022 Columbus Weekend Celebration

NEW YORK, Aug. 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Columbus Citizens Foundation today announced William (Bill) Amelio as an Honoree of the 2022 Columbus Celebration. Amelio, Executive Chairman & Co-CEO of financial start-up DoubleCheck Solutions, will join Tom Golisano, who was previously announced as the 2022 Grand Marshal.

The annual Columbus Day Parade, the largest celebration of Italian American heritage and culture in the United States, will take place on Monday, October 10, 2022, beginning at 11:30 a.m. EDT. As an Honoree, Amelio will join Grand Marshal Golisano at the front of the parade and will lead dozens of marching bands and floats and over 100 marching groups up the Fifth Avenue parade route, from 44th Street to 72nd Street.

Chris Loiacono, President of Columbus Citizens Foundation, said of the announcement: "Bill is a global leader and a perfect choice to accompany our Grand Marshal Tom Golisano at our 2022 Columbus Day Parade and Gala. Leaders of industry are vital to a robust and thriving marketplace. Bill is worthy of celebration both as a visionary businessperson and as a proud Italian American. We cannot wait to share the stories behind his many achievements."

Amelio is the Executive Chairman & Co-CEO of DoubleCheck Solutions, a financial technology company with an innovative solution that delivers new revenue for Financial Institutions while giving customers and small businesses more transparency and control in the event of Non-Sufficient Funds (NSF). He formerly served as the CEO of Avnet, Inc., a global leader of electronic components and services and had served on Avnet's board of directors since 2014. Prior to joining Avnet, Amelio served as the Chief Executive Officer of CHC Group, a global helicopter services provider. He also served as the President & Chief Executive Officer of Lenovo Group Limited. 

Mr. Amelio commented; "As an Italian American, I could not be happier to be named as an Honoree for the 2022 Columbus Celebration. I'm so proud to be a part of this celebration – which showcases New York City's resiliency as we all continue to grapple with the effects of the pandemic, and I cannot wait for this fantastic weekend that honors and supports those of Italian heritage."

The annual Columbus Day Parade, organized by Columbus Citizens Foundation, is the world's largest celebration of Italian American heritage and culture in the United States.

In addition to planning the Columbus Day Parade, Columbus Citizens Foundation provides annual scholarships at high school, college, and graduate levels to Italian American students who have academic ability but lack financial means. Since 1984, the Foundation has offered more than $30 million in scholarship support.

The Columbus Day Parade begins at 11:30 a.m. EDT on Monday, October 10 and will air live on WABC-7 from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. EDT. For more information on the parade, please visit columbuscitizens.org.

Columbus Citizens Foundation is a non-profit organization in New York City committed to fostering an appreciation of Italian American heritage and achievement. The Foundation, through a broad range of philanthropic and cultural activities, provides opportunities for advancement to deserving Italian-American students through various scholarship and grant programs. The Foundation organizes New York City's annual Columbus Celebration and Columbus Day Parade, which has celebrated Italian-American heritage on New York's Fifth Avenue since 1929. For more information, contact [email protected].

William (Bill) J. Amelio is the Executive Chairman & Co-Chief Executive Officer of DoubleCheck Solutions, a financial technology company with an innovative solution that delivers new revenue for Financial Institutions while giving customers and small businesses more transparency and control in the event of Non-Sufficient Funds (NSF).

Bill was the former Chief Executive Officer of Avnet, Inc., a global leader of electronic components and services and had served on Avnet's board of directors since 2014. Prior to joining Avnet, he served as Chief Executive Officer of CHC Group, a global helicopter services provider. He also served as the President & Chief Executive Officer of Lenovo Group Limited. In addition, his experience includes several leadership roles in the global technology sector, including serving as Senior Vice President and President of Dell in Asia Pacific and Japan, as well as roles at NCR Corporation, Honeywell International and IBM. In 2019, Bill was elected to the S&P Global Board of Directors where he served until 2022. He previously served on the board of directors of National Semiconductor.

Bill is a co-founder and Chairman of Caring for Cambodia, a nonprofit organization that works to educate the children of Cambodia through building schools, training teachers and providing for basic human needs. He holds a master's degree in management and is a Sloan Fellow of the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He earned a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Lehigh University 

CONTACT:
Columbus Citizens Foundation
Phone: (212) 249-9923
[email protected]
www.columbuscitizens.org

SOURCE Columbus Citizens Foundation