Klaus Johann Jacobs
Klaus Johann Jacobs | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1936-12-03 Bremen, Germany |
| Died | 2008-09-11 Küsnacht, Switzerland |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, Philanthropist |
| Years active | 1962–2008 |
| Known for | Founder of Jacobs Foundation; key figure in coffee and chocolate industries; founder of Barry Callebaut and Adecco |
Klaus Johann Jacobs (born 3 December 1936, deceased 11 September 2008) was a billionaire originally from Germany who made his mark in the coffee and chocolate industries, later acquiring Swiss nationality.
Early life and education
Jacobs was born in Bremen, Germany. He pursued higher education at the University of Hamburg before continuing his studies at Stanford University.
Career
Jacobs launched his professional journey within the international coffee and chocolate markets.
- In 1962, he assumed the role of Director of Purchasing and Marketing at Jacobs AG, a coffee enterprise.
- By 1972, he had advanced to become the company’s General Manager.
- A decade later, in 1982, Jacobs AG merged with Interfood, resulting in Jacobs Suchard AG, which became Europe's foremost chocolate and coffee firm.
- In 1987, he extended the company’s reach into North America through the acquisition of Brach's.
- After divesting most consumer-facing divisions of Jacobs Suchard to Philip Morris in 1990, Jacobs integrated Brach's with the company’s industrial operations to establish Barry Callebaut. Today, Barry Callebaut stands as the largest producer of raw chocolate globally, although it has encountered criticism over issues such as child labor and environmental damage in Côte d’Ivoire’s protected regions.
- In 1991, Jacobs diversified into human resources by purchasing Adia Personnel Services. Following its merger with Ecco in 1996, he played a pivotal role in creating Adecco, which is now recognized as a Fortune 500 multinational corporation.
Philanthropy
In December 1988, Klaus J. Jacobs founded the Jacobs Foundation based in Zurich, Switzerland. In 2001, he endowed the foundation with his entire stake in Jacobs Holding AG, valued at CHF 1.5 billion (approximately $900 million). The foundation is dedicated to fostering Productive Youth Development by combining scientific research with practical projects and network collaboration. It supports global initiatives and received an additional EUR 200 million donation from Jacobs in 2006 to benefit Jacobs University Bremen.
Death
Klaus J. Jacobs died on 11 September 2008 in Küsnacht, Switzerland.
Memberships
- Member of the World Scout Foundation
- Served as President of Friends of the Hohe Tauern National Park from 1996 to 1998
- Board member at the Zurich Opera House since 2003
- Part of the board for the Association of Friends of Bayreuth
Decorations and awards
- Awarded an honorary doctorate from the Faculty of Psychology at University of Basel in 2005
- Received the Education Award from College of Education Zurich for youth initiatives in 2005
- Honored with Bremen’s Gold Medal of Honour on 16 April 2008 for his contributions to the city
- Granted the Leibniz Medal by the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences in 2008 for promoting scientific advancement
- Earned the Silver World Award from Boy Scouts of America in 1999
- Recipient of the Bronze Wolf Award from the World Scout Committee between 2005 and 2008
- Decorated with the Grand Gold Decoration for Services to the Republic of Austria in 1991
- Awarded the Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, 1st class in 2000
Klaus J. Jacobs Awards
The Jacobs Foundation annually presents two honors—the Klaus J. Jacobs Research Award and the Klaus J. Jacobs Best Practice Award—to recognize outstanding achievements in child and youth development. The first awards ceremony took place on 3 December 2009.
Background
These distinctions honor exemplary research and hands-on projects that profoundly contribute to the growth and achievement of young individuals.
The Klaus J. Jacobs Research Award
This accolade celebrates scholarly investigations that demonstrate significant societal influence on the development of children and adolescents, particularly highlighting interdisciplinary studies poised for real-world implementation. The prize comprises one million Swiss Francs, allocated to an academic initiative chosen by the awardee.
An international panel of esteemed scholars is responsible for selecting the recipient. This jury includes Albert Bandura (Stanford University), Monique Boekaerts (Leiden University), Jeanne Brooks-Gunn (Columbia University), Anne C. Petersen (University of Michigan), Meinrad Paul Perrez (Université de Fribourg), Rainer K. Silbereisen (Friedrich Schiller Universität Jena), and William Julius Wilson (Harvard University).
The Klaus J. Jacobs Best Practice Award
This prize honors outstanding practical contributions by individuals or organizations that implement innovative approaches fostering positive development in children and youth. The award carries a sum of 200,000 Swiss Francs, granted to a project selected by the recipient.
The board of the Jacobs Foundation is responsible for choosing the winner of the Best Practice Award.
| Year | Research Award Recipient | Best Practice Award Recipient |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Laurence Steinberg (Temple University) | Father Johann Casutt (ATMI, Surakarta, Indonesia) |
| 2010 | Terrie Moffitt (Duke University) Avshalom Caspi (King's College London) |
Opstapje, Germany a:primo, Switzerland |
| 2011 | Michael Tomasello (Duke University) | Christiane Daepp (Ideenbüro, Switzerland) |
| 2012 | Dante Cicchetti (University of Minnesota) | Off Road Kids Foundation, Germany |
| 2013 | Greg J. Duncan (University of California, Irvine) | ELTERN-AG, Germany |
| 2014 | Michael Meaney (McGill University, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research) | The Serenity Harm Reduction Programme, Zambia |
| 2015 | Sarah-Jayne Blakemore (University College London) | Gesamtschule Unterstrass, Zurich |
| 2016 | Orazio Attanasio (University College London) | International Child Support-Skilfull Parenting, Kenya |