Dr. Josef Ackermann

Dr. Josef Ackermann is chairman of the board of directors of Zurich Insurance Group Ltd.  Prior to his election as Chairman in March 2012, Ackermann served as  Vice-chairman of the company.

From February 2006 to May 31, 2012, Ackermann was chairman of the management board and the group executive committee at Deutsche Bank. In 1996, Ackermann joined Deutsche Bank’s board of managing directors, and was responsible for the investment banking division.

Prior to Deutsche Bank, Ackermann was president of Schweizerische Kreditanstalt (SKA). He is a member of the supervisory board of Siemens AG, a non-executive member of the board of directors of Royal Dutch Shell plc, and vice chairman of the board of directors of Zurich Financial Services Ltd. Ackermann also serves as chairman of the board of directors of the Institute of International Finance, co-chairman of the foundation board of the World Economic Forum, chairman of the St. Gallen Foundation for International Studies, vice chair and a member of the board of trustees of The Conference Board, and advisory director at New York’s Metropolitan Opera, among other posts.

Ackermann studied economics and social sciences at the University of St. Gallen, where he earned his doctorate, and holds an honorary doctorate from the Democritus University of Thrace in Greece. Ackermann is also an honorary fellow of the London Business School, was visiting professor in finance at the London School of Economics, and was appointed honorary professor at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt.