Serzh Sargsyan receives 2014 RA President’s GIT prizewinner Mario Mazzola

President Serzh Sargsyan today received the high-tech guru and the author of a number of innovations in microelectronics, Chief Development Officer of Sysco Systems, Inc., Mario Mazzola who has won the 2014 RA President’s Global Information Technology (GIT) Award.

The Armenian President welcomed Mario Mazzola and his wife, Luciana Cavaletti, to Armenia. Talking about the goal of establishing a RA President’s IT award, Serzh Sargsyan underscored that time showed it had completely proved its value: the sphere had already achieved certain success, Armenian young men were pleased to be involved in the promising sphere of IT, schoolchildren for whom the Tumo Center for Creative Technologies had been founded also showed keen interest in it, and then they intended to found such centers in all Armenia’s marzes in the near future. The President expressed the hope that during his stay Mario Mazzola would have the opportunity to learn more about Armenia and familiarize with our people’s history and culture.

Mario Mazzola thanked for being awarded the prize and noted that it was an unforgettable event for him, his wife and daughter. Throughout these days they have felt the full warmth and hospitality of the Armenian people and have managed to win very good friends. Mario Mazzola presented the meetings he held during his visit and the impressions he got from them, expressing satisfaction with the fact that he had the opportunity to visit the Matenadaran, familiarize with the Armenian people’s age-old history and the testimonies of its contribution to world civilizations, visited the Memorial to the Victims of the Armenian Genocide and paid tribute to the memory of the innocent victims. He noted that he was pretty impressed with the Tumo center that opens up new opportunities for children to achieve success in the IT sphere in the future.

“Mr. President, I am deeply impressed, touched and happy for the opportunity you have given me and my family to come to Armenia and feel the warmth and attention we are getting,” said Mario Mazzola at the meeting with the RA President.
This evening, on the occasion of the 2014 RA President’s GIT Award Ceremony, a reception will be held at the Presidential Palace in memory of Mr. Mario Mazzola and Mrs. Luciana Cavaletti.

 

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Additional information on the RA President’s GIT Award

Mario Mazzola is the fifth laureate of the RA President’s Global Information Technology (GIT) Award. The first award was bestowed to the Chairman of Intel Corporation’s Board of Directors, Craig Barrett, in 2010, the second one was given to the Co-Founder of Apple Computer, Inc., Steve Wozniak, in 2011, the third one was handed to the Chairman Emeritus of Sinaptics, Inc., Federico Faggin, in 2012 and the fourth one was presented to the President of the Society of Semiconductor Industry Specialists (SSIS) and the President of Techno Vision, former Hitachi CEO Tsugio Makimoto.

The RA President’s GIT Award was established by the decree of President Serzh Sargsyan in July 6, 2009, with the aim of stimulating development in this sector. It is granted on an annual basis to the individuals having made exceptional contributions to the IT sphere. Their contributions made in the areas of technology, education, management, finance etc. resulted or have resulted in significant developments in the area of IT.

The Awarding Program is implemented by the Award Committee and the International Selection Panel appointed by the President of the Republic of Armenia. The award consists of a medal, diploma and a trophy that symbolize Armenia and high technology.