ÂÜÀòÂÒÂ×

Bill Zito was named General Manager of the Florida Panthers on September 2, 2020.

Zito, 55, oversees the club's hockey operations including all matters relating to player personnel, scouting department and minor league operations.

Prior to joining the Panthers, Zito spent seven seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets organization (2013-14 to 2019-2020) holding the position of Assistant General Manager for six seasons before his promotion in 2019 to Vice President of Hockey Operations, Associate General Manager and Alternate Governor. In 2015-16, Zito was appointed the General Manager for Columbus' American Hockey League affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters (then Lake Erie Monsters). During Zito's first season with the Monsters, the club won its first-ever Calder Cup Championship.

The native of Pittsburgh, Pa., served as the general manager of the United States Men's National Team that captured bronze at the 2018 IIHF World Championship and was a member of the management team for Team USA at the 2015 IIHF World Championship, winning a bronze medal.

Prior to his career as an NHL executive, Zito founded and built Acme World Sports into a top agency for hockey players. He represented Vezina Trophy winners Tim Thomas and Tuukka Rask, Vezina Trophy finalist Antii Niemi, Selke Trophy winner John Madden and All-Stars Kimmo Timonen and Brian Rafalski.

Zito graduated from Yale University and played three seasons on the men's ice hockey team from 1984-85 to 1986-87. Zito played one season of professional hockey in Europe after graduating from Yale. Raised in Milwaukee, Wisc., Zito returned home to attend law school at the University of Wisconsin. While pursuing his law degree, Zito served as a graduate assistant, an assistant coach for the Badgers hockey team and a radio color commentator for Badgers hockey.

In 2019, Zito participated in the 100-mile Pelatonia, a bicycle fundraiser for which he personally raised over $150,000, a fundraising record for the event by an individual. The Pelatonia has raised over $195 million since the first event in 2008 for The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center-Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and the Richard Solove Research Institute.

Zito and his wife, Julie, are the parents of twin daughters Frankie and Gigi and son Billy.