Klaus Schwab
The Forum's Founder, Professor Klaus Schwab, currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees—exceptional individuals who act as guardians of the Forum's mission and values, and oversee its work in promoting true global citizenship.
Life and Milestones
Founder and Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum, committed to improving the state of the world, is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. The World Economic Forum today is the foremost global multistakeholder organisation, employing more than 800 people in Geneva, New York, Beijing and Tokyo.
1998Co-Founder, together with his wife Hilde, Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship
The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship provides unparalleled platforms at the regional and global level to highlight and advance leading models of sustainable social innovation. It identifies a select community of social entrepreneurs and engages it in shaping global, regional and industry agendas that improve the state of the world in close collaboration with the other stakeholders of the World Economic Forum.
2004Founder, Forum of the Young Global Leaders
With a donation of $ 1 Mio. which he received from the Dan David Prize, the Forum of Young Global Leaders (YGL) was created as a multistakeholder community (30 to 40 years old) of exceptional young leaders who share a commitment to shaping the global future. Each year, the World Economic Forum identifies 100 extraordinary individuals worldwide to join the YGL community for five years. Today, they form a powerful international community of over 1,000 young leaders having a significant impact on our global future.
2011Founder, Global Shapers Community
The Global Shapers Community is a global network of local communities (“hubs”) of young people (20 to 30 years old) who are exceptional in their potential, achievements and drive to make a contribution to their communities. Hubs are based in each major city around the world. There are currently over 450 hubs established globally. The community is vitalized by the manifold interactions generated within each hub, between hubs and on a global level.
Education
1957
Graduated from the Humanistisches Gymnasium in Ravensburg, Germany
1962
Dipl. Ing., Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Zurich, Switzerland
1963
Lic.ès.sc.écon. et soc. (summa cum laude) University of Fribourg, Switzerland
1966
Doctorate in Engineering (Dr. Sc. Tech.), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Zurich, Switzerland
1967
Doctorate in Economics (Dr.rer.pol.), University of Fribourg, Switzerland
1967
Master of Public Administration, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, USA
Early career
1958-1962
Experience on the shop floor of several companies
1963-1966
Assistant to the Director-General of the German Machine-building Association (VDMA), Frankfurt
1967-1970
Member, Managing Board, Sulzer Escher Wyss AG, Zurich, a manufacturing company with activities in several countries and over 10,000 employees
Selected former activities
1972-2003
Professor for Business Policy, University of Geneva, Switzerland
After 2003
Honorary Professor, University of Geneva, Switzerland
1993-1995
Member, United Nations High-Level Advisory Board on Sustainable Development
1996-1998
Vice-Chairman, United Nations Committee for Development Planning
Academic activities
- Honorary Professor, Foreign Affairs University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Honorary Professor, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
- Honorary Member, International Advisory Council, Bocconi University, Milan, Italy
- Honorary Member, The Academy of the Kingdom of Morocco, Rabat, Morocco
- Creation of the Klaus Schwab Professorship for Global Medicine, National University of Singapore
- Honorary Professor, Peking University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
Thought leadership
Pioneer of breakthrough concepts, including:
- multistakeholder approach
- public private partnerships
- social entrepreneurship
- corporate global citizenship
- fourth industrial revolution
Editorial activities
Author of the annual Global Competitiveness Report (since 1979), numerous articles and several books.
His latest books are The Fourth Industrial Revolution (2016), a worldwide bestseller translated into30 languages, Shaping the Fourth Industrial Revolution (2018), co-authored with Nicholas Davis, COVID-19: The Great Reset (2020), co-authored with Thierry Malleret, and Stakeholder Capitalism(2021), co-authored with Peter Vanham
Selected other activities
Member of the Board, Lucerne Festival, Lucerne, Switzerland
Academic awards and honorary doctorates (Doctor Honoris Causa)
1991
Honorary Doctorate of Bishop’s University, Lennoxville, Québec, Canada
1992
Honorary Doctorate of Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara, Mexico
1996
Honorary Doctorate of Economic University Bratislava, Slovak Republic
1999
Honorary Doctorate of Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne, Switzerland
1999
Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheva, Israel
2002
Honorary Doctorate of Science of London School of Economics and Political Science, London, United Kingdom
2008
Honorary Doctorate of Humanities Kazan State University, Tatarstan
2009
Honorary Doctorate of the University of Latvia
2009
Honorary Doctorate of the European Business School, Germany
2009
Honorary Doctorate of Nankai University, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China
2010
Honorary Doctorate of Economics of the Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City
2011
Honorary Doctorate of Economics of the University of Lausanne, Switzerland
2012
Honorary Doctorate of Business Administration of Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
2015
Honorary Doctorate of Science of KAIST, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
2017
Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy of Haifa University, Israel
2017
Honorary Doctorate of Letters of the National University of Singapore
2017
Honorary Doctorate of Kaunas University of Technology, Lithuania
2022
Honorary Doctorate of The University of Cambodia, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
National distinctions
1988
Cross of the National Order of Merit of Germany
1995
Commander’s Cross of the National Order of Merit of Germany
1997
Knight of the Légion d’Honneur of France
1997
Golden Grand Cross of the National Order of Austria
1997
Medal of Freedom of the Republic of Slovenia
2002
National Order of the Republic of Poland, Commander’s Cross with Star
2002
Highest-level Order of Friendship of the Republic of Kazakhstan
2003
Order of Stara Planina, First Class, Bulgaria
2005
Decoration of First Degree for Outstanding Giving, Jordan
2006
Knighted by H.M. Queen Elizabeth II: Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (KCMG)
2008
Award “For merits to the Republic of Lithuania”, Degree - Commander’s Cross
2011
Order of the Polar Star of the Mongolian People’s Republic
2012
Grand Cross with Star of the National Order of Merit of Germany
2012
Mexican Order del Aguila Azteca
2013
Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun of Japan
2014
Colombian Order of San Carlos
2018
Friendship Medal for outstanding contribution to 40 years of China’s reform and opening policies
Selected awards (since 2000)
2000
Annual Award of the International Institute of Education
2000
Annual Award and Fellow of the Foreign Policy Association, USA
2001
Candlelight Award presented by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan
2002
Annual Award of the Fondation pour Genève
2002
Guggenheim Humanitarian Award
2002
ICCJ – International Council of Christians and Jews Award
2004
Dan David Prize, Tel Aviv University
2005
Transatlantic Bridge Award 2006 Freedom of the City of London
2006
UCD Ulysses Medal , University College Dublin, Ireland
2007
Admission into the German Business Hall of Fame
2010
Atlantic Council Global Citizen Award
2016
Reinhard Mohn Price for Responsible Entrepreneurship
2016
Progress Medal, Society for Progress, INSEAD
2018
Global Economy Price, Kiel Institute for the World Economy
2023
Economy Price, Geneva Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Services
2024
Award For Lifetime Achievement, The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)
Personal
Born
30 March 1938 in Ravensburg, Germany
Married
with Hilde Schwab since 1971
Two children:
Olivier born in 1973 and Nicole born in 1975
Two
grand-children
Professor Klaus Schwab
Curriculum Vitae
