Klaus Schwab

1971

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 600 people in Geneva, New York, Beijing and Tokyo.

1998

Co-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.

2004

Founder, Forum of the Young Global Leaders

The Forum of Young Global Leaders (YGL) is 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.

2011

Founder, 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
Member of the Royal Academy of Morocco, North Africa

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 into 30 languages, Shaping the Fourth Industrial Revolution (2018), COVID-19: The Great Reset (2020) and Stakeholder Capitalism (2021)

Selected other activities

Trustee, The Peres Center For Peace, Tel Aviv, Israel
Member of the Board, Lucerne Festival, Lucerne, Switzerland
Founding Member, Climate Leadership Council

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

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

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

Professor Klaus Schwab

Curriculum Vitae

Download pdf

14:06

Videos

Prof. Klaus Schwab - Reflections From The Founder