Western Union names Patrick Gaston president of Western Union Foundation

Patrick Gaston

ENGLEWOOD, Colorado –The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU), a global leader in financial services, has announced the appointment of Patrick Gaston as President of The Western Union Foundation.  

Patrick Gaston will report directly to the Western Union Foundation Board of Directors Chair, John Dye, with dotted line to Luella Chavez D’Angelo, who was recently promoted to Chief Communications Officer. Gaston will lead Western Union’s global philanthropic strategy, including employee engagement, grant making and strategic initiatives that support education as a pathway to economic opportunity.

“Patrick is a visionary Corporate Social Responsibility executive with extensive Fortune 500 global experience and strong knowledge in building strategic alliances,” said Dye. “Under Patrick’s leadership, The Western Union Foundation will continue to focus on its mission and commitment to drive economic opportunity for families around the world.”

Gaston most recently served as president and CEO of Gastal Networks LLC, a management consulting firm assisting organizations in building results driven Corporate Social Responsibility and philanthropic strategies. Prior to this, he served as a senior advisor to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund. Gaston previously served as president of the Verizon Foundation, one of the 15 largest corporate foundations in America.

Gaston also serves on a number of national non-profit boards including the NAACP Board of Trustees, He is a member of the board of directors of Bed Bath and Beyond, Inc. Gaston is a member of the Executive Leadership Council, and was Vice Chair of the Business Committee for The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

In 2009, Gaston was named one of the top 100 most influential African-Americans in corporate America by Savoy Professional magazine.  He was also named Corporate Responsibility Magazine Foundation CEO of the year in 2010.

Gaston was raised in Haiti, Canada and the United States. He holds a B.A. from the University of Massachusetts and an M.B.A. from Northeastern University.

About Western Union

The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) is a leader in global payment services. Together with its Vigo, Orlandi Valuta, Pago Facil and Western Union Business Solutions branded payment services, Western Union provides consumers and businesses with fast, reliable and convenient ways to send and receive money around the world, to send payments and to purchase money orders. As of September 30, 2012, the Western Union, Vigo and Orlandi Valuta branded services were offered through a combined network of approximately 510,000 agent locations in 200 countries and territories. In 2011, The Western Union Company completed 226 million consumer-to-consumer transactions worldwide, moving $81 billion of principal between consumers, and 425 million business payments. For more information, visit www.westernunion.com.

About The Western Union Foundation

The Western Union Foundation is dedicated to creating a better world, where the ability to realize dreams through economic opportunity is not just a privilege for the few but a right for all. With the support of the Western Union Company, its employees, Agents, and business partners, the Western Union Foundation works to realize this vision by supporting education and disaster relief efforts as pathways toward a better future. Our combined social ventures efforts make life better for individuals, families and communities around the world. Since its inception, the Western Union Foundation has awarded more than $81.7 million in grants to more than 2,551 nongovernmental organizations in more than 124 countries and territories. To learn more, visit www.westernunionfoundation.org.