Aldo Cundari Elected Chair of Villa Charities' Board of Governors

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Oct. 13, 2015) -

Editors Note: There is a photo associated with this press release.

Toronto marketing executive Aldo Cundari has been elected Chair of the Villa Charities Inc. Board of Governors. Villa Charities is a registered charity that provides Italian Canadian culturally sensitive care and independent living apartments for seniors as well as educational, cultural and athletic programs.

Cundari, who was elected along with other Board members at Villa Charities' Sept. 17 annual general meeting, has been a volunteer at the organization for over 20 years. He served on the Villa Colombo Board of Governors from 1996 to 2007 and has been a member of Villa Charities' Board since 2000.

"I am honoured to have been elected Chair, and for the opportunity to continue serving the Italian community where I live and work," Cundari says. "With exciting challenges ahead as we embark on the redevelopment of the Columbus Centre, I look forward to helping secure its place as the hub of Toronto's Italian-Canadian community for future generations."

Cundari replaces Nina Perfetto as Chair. "Along with other members of the Villa Charities community, I thank Nina for the excellent leadership she has provided to our organization," he remarks.

Cundari is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Toronto-based Cundari Group Ltd., Canada's most globally awarded independent communications agency.

After completing his studies at L'Istituto Europeo di Disegno in Rome, Italy, Cundari quickly established himself in the marketing field in Canada. In 1998, he was included in Marketing Magazine's "Power List: The 100 Most Influential People in Canadian Communications." He became a Fellow of the QuantumShift program at the Ivey Institute for Entrepreneurs in 2006, and in 2008 and 2009, was elected as one of Ernst & Young's Entrepreneurs of the Year. In 2010, Cundari was appointed to the board of directors of the Canadian Marketing Association, and in 2013 was appointed to the board of directors of the Institute of Communication Agencies.

He is the author of the book "Customer-Centric Marketing: Build Relationships, Create Advocates, and Influence Your Customers," published by Wiley in 2015.

Outside the marketing field, Cundari and a business partner bought, reopened and revitalized the Toronto School of Art after its doors closed in 2012. The alternative, not-for-profit arts school has established itself as one of the most distinguished alternative art schools in the city.

Also elected to Villa Charities' Board of Governors for 2015-2016 are:

Immediate Past Chair: Nina Perfetto

Vice Chair: Frank Chiarotto

Secretary: Nick Sgro

Treasurer: Stephen Shulman (Acting)

Governors: Richard Dri, Mario Giampietri, Joseph Tanzola

Ex Officio Governors:

From Villa Colombo Toronto: Nick Manocchio, Santo Veltri

From Columbus Centre: Karen Manarin, Frank Chiarotto

From Villa Colombo Vaughan: Rina Tiberini, Ed Mancinelli

About Villa Charities

Villa Charities Inc. is a registered charity that cultivates, promotes and celebrates our culture as Italian-Canadians. For more than 40 years across the GTA, Villa Charities has provided care for seniors and offered educational and cultural programs in music, dance, visual arts, culinary arts, athletics and more. The Villa Charities family includes Villa Colombo Services for Seniors in Toronto; Villa Colombo Vaughan/Di Poce Centre; Caboto Terrace, Casa Del Zotto and Casa Abruzzo apartments for independent seniors; the Columbus Centre; and J.D. Carrier Art Gallery. For more information, visit www.villacharities.com.

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