MILAN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 4, 2026--
In the iconic setting of Palazzo Mezzanotte, in Piazza Affari, Le Fonti Awards ® celebrate Italian and international excellence. Acting as a sounding board for a certified business-focused community of over 10.5 million people, Le Fonti Awards ®, now in their XVI edition in 2026, continue their mission of enhancing both corporate and personal brands. More than just an awards ceremony for leading firms in the fields of professional services, consulting and business, the event also represents a unique opportunity for discussion through the Stagira CEO Summit, the C-Level debate platform that fosters connections and outlines future scenarios.
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Over the past months, Le Fonti Awards ® have highlighted leaders across all industries, with a particular focus on sustainability and innovation. Among them, Alessandro Santoliquido of UniCredit Life Insurance, awarded CEO of the Year in the insurance sector. Concettina Gullì, from Studio Gullì, with offices in Italy, the USA and Dubai, received the Professional of the Year award in Tax Consulting, “for leading a firm that stands as a true catalyst for intelligent solutions, innovation and process transformation.” Andre Leung of Aereve was recognized as CEO of the Year in the Innovation & Leadership category for AI-powered compliance solutions.Barbara Bonavita, Founder of Studio Bonavita, was named Professional of the Year in Tax & Fiscal Consulting. A special mention also went to Renew Storage Energy, awarded Excellence of the Year “for its constant commitment to driving the energy transition and contributing to a greener and cleaner future.”
Darya Majidi, Founder and President of the “Associazione Donne 4.0” – also recognized among the 100 women changing the world by “D. di Repubblica” and among the 10 women impacting Italy by “Io Donna del Corriere,” as well as featured on the cover of Fortune Italia in October 2023 among the 50 Most Powerful Women – brought to the stage a special focus on AI and Inclusion.
In addition to gaining maximum national visibility, each winner benefits from significant global media exposure within the investor community across all the cities where the Award is present: New York, Hong Kong, Dubai, Singapore, London, and many other major international financial hubs. The next event in Milan will take place on June 25, 2026.
Le Fonti Awards and Stagira CEO Summit Celebrate Italian and International Excellence: Among the Winners Studio Gullì, Studio Bonavita and Aereve
DARLINGTON, S.C. (AP) — Chase Briscoe liked Darlington Raceway from the moment he first drove here seven years ago. He'll like it a lot more if he can make history with his third straight win at the Southern 500 on Sunday.
Only NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon would have more, with four straight victories from 1995-98 at the track dubbed “Too Tough to Tame.”
Briscoe recalled his opening practice in an O'Reilly Auto Parts Series car back in 2019. “After the first five laps, I thought, 'Man, this place is awesome.'”
His affinity for Darlington has only grown since then. He won the Triple-A tier series race here in 2021, then took the past two Southern 500s to match a feat that only seven other drivers, including Bobby Allison, Cale Yarborough, David Pearson and Dale Earnhardt — all Hall of Famers — had ever achieved.
Winning three in a row? “That's definitely on the radar,” Briscoe said with a grin. “To do that three times in a row would be something really, really special.”
It also would be a strong start for the Joe Gibbs Racing driver's latest attempt at a NASCAR Cup championship, a chase that begins Sunday.
Briscoe finished fifth in the standings, 45 points behind regular-season champion and JGR teammate Denny Hamlin. The margin is manageable, especially with the format change, where none of the 16 competitors in The Chase will be eliminated during the next 10 races.
Briscoe brings with him an understanding of how to make his car better during his time on Darlington's oddball layout. While others complain about the egg-shaped oval's tight corners and tire-chewing surface, Briscoe has pushed all the right buttons to get to victory lane the past two years.
He used a drama-filled, three-wide pass late in the race to win in 2024 to qualify for that year's playoff grid. A season later, Briscoe had a dominant machine as he led 309 of 367 laps for his second Southern 500 in a row.
“When you're able to win two years in a row, that confidence just builds more and more every single time," Briscoe said. “So this is always one I've got circled on the calendar and one where the circle gets bigger.”
Denny Hamlin enters NASCAR's playoff Chase as the favorite and with experience in the reset format, in which none of the 16 competitors will be knocked out. But what if the 45-year-old future Hall of Famer doesn't win the championship this year or before he chooses to leave the sport?
“It would mean a lot personally,” Hamlin said this week while previewing the playoffs. “But also if I quit today, I'm still really happy with the stats we were able to put on the stat sheet and the wins we've been able to get. It certainly would be very gratifying, but what matters to me is my dad saw me when I was at my absolute best, and that was at Phoenix last year.”
Hamlin's father, Dennis, was his son's biggest supporter, and Hamlin said that his dad's sacrifices helped him achieve all he has in racing. Dennis died last December at 75, a few weeks after his son competed for the title at Phoenix.
Denny Hamlin holds the record with 19 playoff appearances and 14 playoff race wins. He has made the Championship 4 at the final race four times, including last year. But he has not broken through for a title.
He sits ninth all-time with 64 NASCAR victories, including four this season to take the 2026 regular-season title. He hopes to add a few more on the way to celebrating in Homestead in a couple of months. “I'm a little bit ahead and I've got enough races to prove that we're the best,” he said.
Ryan Preece, who won his way into the playoffs with a victory at Daytona last week, plans to stay aggressive and focused in the postseason. It's the only strategy that make sense to him.
“We have nothing to lose,” said Preece, seeded 16th in the 16-driver grid. "When I look at where we're at, if we're aggressive and it doesn't work out we’re still at the bottom.”
Hamlin and Tyler Reddick are the co-favorites to win the Southern 500 on Sunday, tied at plus-500. Briscoe, looking for his third straight win at Darlington's crown jewel event, is next at plus-600. Following Briscoe is Kyle Larson (plus-850), Christopher Bell (plus-1000) and Ryan Blaney (plus-1100).
See AP’s full auto racing coverage here
Chase Briscoe (19) and Ty Gibbs (54) steer their cars out of Turn 4 during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race, Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026, at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Chase Briscoe walks to the drivers meeting before a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
