Ronald S. Lauder

International philanthropist, investor, art collector, and public servant, Amb. Ronald S. Lauder combines a deep commitment to his heritage in a mosaic of philanthropic endeavors that reaches around the world.

From 1983 to 1986, Ronald Lauder served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for European and NATO Affairs.

In 1986, he was appointed by President Reagan as United States Ambassador to Austria. During his posting there he built strong diplomatic bonds between the two countries while personally repudiating Kurt Waldheim during his election as President.

Ambassador Lauder’s experience in Austria heightened his deep appreciation and commitment to his Jewish heritage. Afterwards, he sought to revitalize Jewish life across Eastern Europe in communities that had been devastated by the Holocaust. To this end, in 1987, he established The Ronald S. Lauder Foundation. More than 20 years on, the Foundation now supports 37 Jewish schools, camps and community centers in Austria, Belarus, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Ukraine. In the past two decades, Amb. Lauder’s efforts have awakened thousands of Jewish youngsters to their common heritage and accomplished something quite extraordinary: where once Jews were afraid to be openly Jewish, young men now walk the streets of these countries openly and proudly wearing yarmulkes as they travel to study and learn.

In 1997, Amb. Lauder was elected as President of the Jewish National Fund, one of the oldest and most important philanthropies designed to aid the State of Israel. Prior to his election, the JNF was beset by scandal and financial improprieties. Amb. Lauder has been credited with helping restore the JNF’s solid fiscal reputation and helped turn its focus to the number one environmental problem facing Israel – its growing water crisis. Amb. Lauder subsequently became Chairman of the Board of the JNF.

In February 1999, Amb. Lauder was elected as Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.

To build better understanding between different people and cultures, in 1987 Amb. Lauder created an International Student Exchange Program between Jewish high school students in New York City and Vienna. Since its inception, the program has grown to include students from Budapest, Warsaw, Prague, St. Petersburg, Berlin and Sofia.

Amb. Lauder’s long interest in art and his commitment to justice led him to create and head the Committee for Art Recovery that has helped establish international laws to recover art stolen by the Nazis during World War II. The Committee has helped retrieve many important paintings and deliver them to the heirs of their rightful owners. This work continues to this day with several important projects still ongoing.

In 2008 Amb. Lauder’s was elected as President of the World Jewish Restitution Organization.

Amb. Lauder also serves as Chairman of the Jewish Heritage Council; Director of the International Board of Governors of the International Society for Yad Vashem; member of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council, member of the Board of Directors of the Jewish Theological Seminary; member of the Board of Directors of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee; member of the Board of Trustees of the Anti-Defamation League Foundation; member of the Board of Trustees of The Abraham Fund; Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Sakharov Archives at Brandeis University and member of the International Board of Governors of the Tel Aviv Museum. Mr. Lauder combined his belief in free markets, free trade and democratic capitalism with his interest in Israel, and has been a major supporter of The Shalem Center, a free market think-tank, in Jerusalem since its founding. He is also an Honorary Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Museum of Modern Art.

The son of the late Estée and Joseph Lauder, founders of The Estée Lauder Companies Inc., Ronald Lauder was born on February 26, 1944. He graduated from the Bronx High School of Science and holds a Bachelors degree in International Business from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He studied at the University of Paris, and received a Certificate in International Business from the University of Brussels. He holds the positions of non-executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of Central European Media Enterprises Ltd., and Chairman of Clinique Laboratories LLC.

Amb. Lauder was elected as President of the World Jewish Congress in June 2007.