Mr Rino Grollo
Mr Rino Grollo
Australian Catholic University (ACU National) will awarded Melbourne-based property developer, humanitarian and prominent Italian-Australian Rino Grollo with its highest honour, Doctor of the University (honoris causa), at its annual spring graduation ceremony in Sydney on 4 October 2008.
ACU National Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Sheehan AO said Mr Grollo had demonstrated an exemplary balance between business success, devotion to faith and family, charitable giving and community involvement in a career spanning four decades.
"Rino Grollo has experienced outstanding success as Chairman of the Grollo Group, one of Australia's most innovative building companies. The Grollo name is synonymous with quality workmanship and the company's graceful architecture has added vibrancy to the Melbourne and Sydney skylines," Professor Sheehan said.
"Importantly, however, Rino and his wife Diana are passionate humanitarians and have lent their commitment to the support of a number of important causes. These range from health services and the arts to the Australian Winter Olympics movement and the Catholic Church. An extraordinary number of Australians have actually benefited from the generosity of the Grollo family without knowing of their sponsorship.
"In addition, Rino Grollo is a proud Italian-Australian and a strong advocate of the Italian contribution to modern Australia. He has been a member of the Italian Chamber of Commerce and the Dante Aligheri Society for more than two decades and has provided funding for an Italian Australian Institute, aged care facilities for Italian migrants, and Italian religious congregations, among other causes. In 1999, the Italian Government honoured his services to the Italian-Australian community when he was named Grand Ufficiale of the Italian Republic.
"It gives the University great pleasure to bestow the title of Doctor of the University upon him."
