Cisco Systems’ Chief Development Officer Receives Armenian President’s Global IT Award

YEREVAN — High-tech guru and author of a number of innovations in microelectronics, Chief Development Officer of Cisco Systems, Inc., Mario Mazzola received the Armenian President’s 2014 Global IT (GIT) Award in a ceremony that took place at the Presidential Palace on Wednesday evening.

It was followed by a reception in honor of Mazzola and his wife, Luciana Cavaletti, the presidential press service reports.

At the reception, the Chairman of the Executive Board of the GIT Award Committee, Hovik Musayelyan, talked about recent years’ achievements in IT, the largest value-added and a dynamically developing sector in Armenia, initiatives aimed at boosting the sector in our country, as well as about the IT award winner selection procedure and the previous awardees.

“Every year, making a speech at this ceremony, I mention various opinions of previous awardees about their visits to Armenia. Today I would like to recall the words of former Intel Corporation CEO Craig Barrett: “I am very impressed with the Armenian people’s rich history and culture. I have been to Jerusalem many times and every time I visited the Armenian Quarter, I witnessed immense devotion and warmth. I can see the same thing in Armenia. Armenians are very clever, bright and hard-working people. I was happy to notice that Armenians understand the importance of developing information and telecommunication technologies for the country’s future. It is pleasant to observe the same understanding at the government level.”

In his acknowledgment speech, GIT prizewinner Mario Mazzola expressed his gratitude for being bestowed such a prestigious IT award, introduced his activities, talked about the development of the IT sphere in the world, as well as about the present prerequisites for boosting that sphere in Armenia and its prospects.

Mazzola is the fifth laureate of the award instituted by the Armenian president in 2009 to honor individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to humanity through advancing the world of IT.

Previous laureates include retired CEO/Chairman of the Board of Intel Corporation, Craig Barrett in 2010, co-founder of Apple Computers, Inc. Steve Wozniak in 2011, Chairman Emeritus of Synaptics, Inc. Federico Faggin in 2012 and President of Technovision Consulting and Board Director of Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Tsugio Makimoto in 2013.

“With this prize, we express our gratitude to those people, who say a new word in the IT area, and contribute to creation of more favorable conditions for the development of humanity. But through this award we also direct a special message to our youth.

Today’s ceremony is symbolic and pregnant with the slogan of the Cisco Systems, Inc.: Tomorrow starts here. I am confident that Mr. Mazzola will serve as a role-model for Armenian youth, inspiring it to achieve further success in the area of information technology,” President Serzh Sarkisian said in his remarks at the award ceremony.