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The Hellenic American Bankers Association (HABA) honored entrepreneur and political activist John Catsimatidis, Chairman & CEO of the Red Apple Group of New York, with its Executive of the Year Award, the association’s highest distinction, during a lavish, sold out gala, held at the Union League Club of New York City. Catsimatidis joined an impressive group of previous recipients, among them William S. Stavropoulos, retired Chairman and C.E.O. of Dow Chemical Company, John P. Calamos, Sr., founder, Chairman and C.E.O. of Calamos Investors, James Chanos, founder and Managing Partner of Kynikos Associates, Nicholas Tsakos of TEN Navigation, US Senator Paul Sarbanes and Dean Metropoulos of C. Dean Metropoulos & Company.
Red Apple Group has holdings in oil refining, wholesale and retail petroleum distribution, convenience stores, supermarkets, real estate, and aviation and posted revenues of over $4 billion in 2010.
Mr. Catsimatidis is a major employer in New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio with over 8,000 workers. He is a global leader in the Greek Orthodox Church, in which he chairs the Religious Freedom Committee, bonding together Orthodox Christians, Roman Catholics, and Jews in support of religious freedom around the world. John and his wife Margo are active supporters of Hellenic youth, the Police Athletic League of New York, and the Kidney Foundation. He is also active in politics and was named a member of the transition team for New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in 2011.
”HABA is pleased to honor John Catsimatidis for his professional accomplishments, leadership and devotion to the Hellenic American Community,” said the organization’s President, Georgia Mouzakis Tavlarios. "The Board of HABA reviewed many candidates for our Executive of the Year Award and we unanimously chose John Catsimatidis because of his devotion and ongoing contributions to the Hellenic American community. We are deeply honored to add John Catsimatidis to our list of illustrious honorees, in this, our 30th anniversary."
This year HABA celebrated its 30th anniversary. The organization was established in 1982 to promote the professional and educational interests of Hellenic-Americans in the banking and financial services industries. Since its inception, HABA has strived to serve the interests of Hellenic-American financial professionals through the sponsoring of lectures, seminars, cocktail receptions and other events. HABA has had many distinguished speakers such as Peter G. Peterson, Senior Chairman and co-founder of The Blackstone Group, John A. Georges, retired Chairman and C.E.O. of International Paper, John P. Calamos, Sr., founder, Chairman and C.E.O. of Calamos Investors, and Dr. Charles Calomiris, Henry Kaufman, Professor of Financial Institutions at the Columbia University Graduate School of Business.
Every year HABA holds a Vasilopita event where all members and friends gather to celebrate the beginning of the New Year. During the past years, the association has grown to 250 members and has become a leading organization of Hellenic-American professionals.
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