BRADENTON, FL, May 12, 2009 – Vito Melfi, Vice President of Information Technology (IT) at Gevity, is the recipient of a 2009 CIO Ones to Watch award from IDG's CIO magazine and CIO Executive Council.
Since 2005, this prestigious honor has been given annually to 25 "rising stars in IT who bring leadership, innovation and value to their organization and are primed to become future chief information officers (CIOs)," according to the magazine.
Melfi accepted his award at a ceremony held on May 4, 2009, at Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort and Spa in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, during CIO magazine's Leadership Event. He also was invited to speak at the meeting by the company that nominated him, Hewlett-Packard (HP).
The Lakewood Ranch resident said he was "thrilled and honored" to be selected as a recipient of this year's award, not only for himself but also for Gevity, a leading provider of HR solutions, and HP, "which has been a true partner with us through integration of its products and services into our information infrastructure."
"Although these awards are given to individuals, teamwork is the key," he added. "I am very fortunate to be surrounded by great colleagues here at Gevity".
Melfi joined Gevity in January 2007, relocating from Connecticut. Before joining the professional employer organization (PEO), he served in senior leadership roles at Gartner, Mercator Software, Cendant Corporation, Dun & Bradstreet and Pepsi Cola International. He has a bachelor's degree in business management from Sacred Heart University.
At Gevity, Melfi oversees and manages all operational aspects of IT infrastructure/operations functions. Among his accomplishments, he has reengineered the company's disaster recovery /business continuity program, working in conjunction with HP to deliver full recovery and significantly reduce timelines. He also has introduced tools/processes/architecture to improve the client experience during benefits enrollment and directed significant cost-reduction initiatives across multiple disciplines, according to his employer.
"The Ones to Watch honorees are, variously, great technologists, project managers, information architects and risk managers. The one thing they all have in common is their ability to lead," said Maryfran Johnson, CIO editor in chief.
All Ones to Watch honorees must be nominated or endorsed by a practicing chief information officer. Nominations were submitted between May and November 2008 and rigorously reviewed by a judging panel of 29 leading CIOs.
About Gevity
As a leading provider of HR solutions, Gevity helps small businesses nationwide maximize performance through its world-class HR expertise and services — including payroll, benefits, administrative processing, risk management, policies and procedures, new hire support, performance management, and employee development and retention.
About CIO Magazine and the CIO Executive Council
Launched in 1987, CIO magazine addresses issues vital to the success of chief information officers (CIOs) worldwide. The CIO Executive Council is a professional organization of CIOs created to serve as an unbiased and trusted peer advisory group. CIO magazine, CIO.com, CIO Executive Programs and the CIO Executive Council are produced by International Data Group's award-winning business unit: CXO Media Inc.