About BOI

Sergio (Bill) William Chionio is the CEO and Founder of Business Owners International.  He is the son of Vera Chionio who named him after a freedom fighter she admired in her native country of Slovenia.  As a widow after WWII, his mother left war-torn Italy in 1952, with Bill, crossing the Atlantic Ocean on a refurbished WWII mine sweeper.  She arrived in the United States with a suitcase in one hand and 7 year old Bill in the other.  She taught herself English while attending night classes in medical technology and working full-time.  She taught Bill to value this great country, the principles upon which it was founded and the opportunities it offers for a life of freedom through the dignity of hard work.  Bill has built BOI upon these principles.  

Bill grew up in St.Louis, attended Chaminade Preparatory High School and St. Louis University.  After teaching for a few years, he accepted a position working for corporate America in 1980, then started his own business in 1989. At that point, a good friend encouraged Bill to join an Owners Peer Group with him, however he was “too busy and had no time.”  His friend was persistent and sent him a great quote from Abraham Lincoln:  “If I had three hours to chop down a tree, I would spend the first two sharpening my blade.”  This is another principle upon which he has built BOI.  Take time to sharpen the blade and your work will be made easier and more efficient.  Bill joined the Peer Group and sold his business then focusing on building Business Owners International for business owners like himself.  

Bill has been married to Karen, his wife of 53 years, and they now live in Estes Park, Colorado where they enjoy the cool mountain summers, hiking and snowshoeing with their Black Lab, Gracie, traveling, and visits from their kids, five grandkids and friends.  

Before joining Business Owners International, David graduated with honors from Maryville University of St. Louis. He worked his way through college at Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse, where he worked in a leadership role developing strategic plans for Lowe’s to improve sales, customer service, and inventory management. David then spent two years as a Training Consultant with Dale Carnegie, St. Louis where he learned business-to-business communications and gained world-class human relations training. He joined BOI in 2009, chiefly concentrating on sales and growing the business. Today, he is the VP of Sales, co-facilitator of our Manufacturing Alliance, and Head Facilitator of our Pharmacy 360 Alliance. 

David and his wife of 20 years, Celeste, live in St. Louis, and are the proud parents of three great teenagers.  David loves taking his family and their dog Levi on canoeing trips down the Current River and has always enjoyed the outdoors.  He is a music lover and can play several instruments.  His church is very important to him and he plays on their music team, is a Deacon, and teaches their men’s Bible study.

Celeste Bommarito Chionio is the Chief Operations Officer for Business Owners International. Since she started working with BOI in 2005, she has been instrumental in implementing and maintaining BOI’s various Mastermind Alliances, including Pharmacy, Manufacturing, and Senior Leaders. An administrative professional for eighteen years, Celeste’s widely varied role includes regular and effective communication with vendors, customers, and colleagues; collaboration with meeting venues to ensure successful meetings; bookkeeping/invoicing; and preparation and execution of all BOI Alliance meetings. 

Celeste holds a Bachelor of Science from Missouri Baptist University in St. Louis, Missouri, and is a graduate of the Dale Carnegie Course as well as Psychological Associates’ “Q4 Leadership: The People Skills Advantage  Workshop.” 

Celeste has been married to her husband, David, for twenty years, and together they share three teenagers. When she isn’t working, Celeste enjoys traveling with her family, reading, cooking, and working on projects around the house. 

Julie Peden is the Director of PR and Marketing for Business Owners International. Since starting with BOI in 2021, she has devoted her time to growing the company via marketing, public relations, and member management. Julie also provides support to the Alliance groups, assisting with meetings, administrative work, and overall client support. 

Julie graduated from William Jewell College where she double majored in Nursing and Psychology. After living in Montana and Georgia most of her adult life, she returned home to St Louis in 2020. Her career has spanned 25 years, working mostly in critical care, in both rural and urban settings.
Julie is a graduate of Psychological Associate’s “Q4 Leadership: The People Skills Advantage Workshop” and she brings years of leadership experience to Business Owners International with a strong foundation in processes and workflow, program development, and project management.
Julie has raised two children, Luke and Addi, who are now 21 and 18. Luke will soon be graduating from Georgia Institute of Technology with honors and a degree in Environmental Engineering, minoring in public policy.  Addi is graduating from high school with honors in 2024 and is currently deciding on what college to attend. She will be majoring in Interior Design with a minor in business.

Julie has a passion for travelling. She completed some schooling in England, has biked across France, and was a travel nurse for some of her career. In her spare time she also enjoys spending time with her kids, volunteering, and playing with her three dogs.