Charles T. Fote, Chairman and Ceo of First Data Corp., Headlines Colorado State’s Denver Executive Luncheon March 24

Charles T. Fote, chairman and chief executive officer of First Data Corp., will be the featured keynote speaker at Colorado State University’s third annual Denver Executive Luncheon on March 24.

The event will begin at 11:30 a.m. at the Seawell Grand Ballroom in the Denver Performing Arts Complex at 1050 13th Street. Lunch will be served at noon and the program will conclude at 1:30 p.m. Fote will discuss "Growing people to grow your business."

Charlie Fote assumed the title of chief executive officer of First Data on Jan.1, 2002, and was named chairman a year later, succeeding Henry "Ric" Duques.  Fote joined First Data in 1975, then owned by American Express. Since then, he has held several succeeding positions within the company. Before joining First Data, Fote was vice president of operations for Framingham Trust.

"We are extremely pleased and honored to have Mr. Charles Fote as our keynote speaker at this year’s Denver Executive Lunch," said Brett Anderson, chair of the development committee of the Colorado State University Development Council and managing partner of Accenture. "By having such a prominent CEO as Mr. Fote, we continue our tradition of bringing one of the nation’s top business leaders to a forum of dialogue with the Colorado business and academic community."

Fote has executive management responsibility for overall strategy and operations of First Data. He is actively involved in recruiting and attracting the best and brightest to add to its global enterprise. His philosophy about how organizations become successful entails building the business around a strong set of core values, ensuring everyone with the company is "going in the right direction."

Every second of every day, millions of people and businesses around the world are able to engage in all types of transactions because of First Data. From credit cards, debit cards, checking accounts and stored value cards to global money transfer, First Data makes it possible for money to move electronically and the global marketplace to move smoothly. Operating at the center of the electronic commerce and payments industry, the corporation is a single-source provider of integrated, end-to-end payment solutions.

Colorado State initiated the Denver Executive Luncheon, an annual event, in November 2001 to bring together corporate leaders, alumni and those who have an interest in the university and current trends in business.

Reservations are required and space is limited. Table sponsorships are available for $500 and $1,000 and individual seats are $50. For more information, contact Christina Newendorp at (866) CSU-GIVE (278-4483) or cnewendorp@ua.colostate.edu.

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