Dr Josef Ackermann was the second recipient of the Leo Baeck Medal of Recognition, awarded by the Leo Baeck Institute London. The prestigious award was presented to Dr Ackermann for his devoted support of Jewish cultural and academic institutions. Dr Ackermann has brought an invaluable amount of goodwill and generosity to the causes at the heart of the Leo Baeck Institute as well as the Jewish Museum in Frankfurt.
Dr Ackermann studied both economics and social sciences at the University of St. Gallen. He is known as one of the most successful business leaders in recent history, heading the Schweizerische Kreditanstalt (SKA), the Deutsche Bank AG and since 2012 the Zurich Insurance Group. Dr Ackermann plays an active role in institutions such as the World Economic Forum, the St. Gallen Foundation for International Studies and the Metropolitan Opera New York. He was appointed Honorary Professor at Frankfurt’s Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in 2008 and is a visiting Professor at the London School of Economics and an Honorary Fellow of the London Business School. He also holds an Honorary Doctorate from the Democritus University of Thrace in Greece.
Professor Peter Pulzer, President of the Leo Baeck Institute, presented the Leo Baeck Medal to Dr Josef Ackermann on 22 November 2012, in the presence of the Swiss Ambassador to the UK, HE Mr Anthon Thalmann. Other speakers included the Director of the Leo Baeck Institute, Professor Raphael Gross and Professor Michael Meyer of Cincinnati University.
Photos by Sebastian Popov.
