Who is driving the foundation forward?
The composition of the executive board reflects the interdisciplinary and international co-operation for which the foundation strives:
Dr. Michael J. Inacker, (Berlin), political scientist, historian, journalist from 2006 to 2009 vice-editor-in-chief and manager of the Berlin main office of the "Wirtschaftswoche". From February 2009 until recently director of “Company Communication and Public Relations” at Metro AG. Chair of the Executive Board. biography
Dr. Thomas A. Seidel, (Erfurt), theologian, historian, principal lecturer, previously director of the Evangelische Akademie Thüringen, since 2005 Church Councillor and representative of the Evangelical churches at the state parliament and the state government in Thuringia. biography
Constantin Prince of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, (London), economist, investment banker, currently engaged in setting up the Belvedere Energy Group which specializes in all types of renewable energy, especially solar power parks. biography
John C. Kornblum, (Berlin, Washington) numerous political and economic management positions in the USA and Europe, from 1997 to 2001 ambassador of the USA in Germany. Currently senior counselor at Noerr Stieenhofer Lutz. biography
Rolf Ferdinand Schmalbrock, (Jena), jurist, previously lawyer in the finance department of the Federal State of Thuringia, and since 1995 CEO of the Ernst Abbe Stiftung in Jena. biography
Valentin Schmidt, (Hanover), jurist, long-standing high-level civil servant, 1997 to 2006 president of the ecclesiastical office of the Evangelischen Kirchen in Deutschland (EKD) in Hanover. biography
Our office in Erfurt is run by Malcolm Walters (Erfurt / Norwich / London / Birmingham) and Anika Koppe (Erfurt).
Management committee of the board of trustees:
Alexander von Witzleben, 2003 CEO of Jenoptik AG, Jena, 2007 board member of Franz Haniel & Cie GmbH to Duisburg, since 2009 president of the board of Feintool International Holding AG. Chair of the Board of Trustees.
Katrin Göring-Eckardt, (Berlin) President of the Synod of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), politician (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen), Vice-president of the German Bundestag.
Further members of the board of trustees:
The bishops of the Kernländer der Reformation (Heartlands of the Reformation) Ilse Junkerman (Eisenach & Magdeburg) and Jochen Bohl (Dresden).
Christine Lieberknecht, (Erfurt) is the first of the prime ministers of the Kernländer to join the trustees.
Bischof Gerhard Ulrich (Kiel) Chair of the Church Council of the North Elbian Evangelical Lutheran Church and Chair of the Joint Church Council of the three state-wide churches North Elbian, Mecklenburg and Pomerania, as well as the senior Bishop of the United Evangelical Lutheran Church of Germany (VELKD).
Prof. Dr. Peter L. Berger, American sociologist and Lutheran theologian, since 1985 director of the Institute for the Study of Economic Culture (today: Institute on Culture, Religion and World Affairs) in Boston, USA.
Prof. Dr. Dr. Uwe Bicker, (Bensheim), scientist and on the board of trustees of Hoechst, Aventis Foundation. Chairman of the board of trustees of the Max Planck Society.
Hans Skov Christensen (Copenhagen) until 2010 General Director of the Confederation of Danish Industry (Dansk Industri), since 2011 Chair of the Steering Committee for the Reformation Jubilee in Denmark.
Dr. Christian Dräger, (Lübeck) former CEO of Drägerwerk AG. Chairman of Dräger Foundation.
Siegfried Kasparick, Provost of Lutherstadt Wittenberg.
Dr. Nicola Leibinger Kammüller, (Ditzingen) CEO of the TRUMPF Group.
Friedhelm Loh, (Haiger), owner and chairman of the Friedhelm Loh Group, president of the German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association (ZVEI) and vice-president of the Federation of German Industries (BDI)
Prof. Dr. Inge Lønning, (Oslo) renowned Norwegian theologian and politician, chairman of the parliamentary group of the conservatives and former vice-president of the Norwegian parliament in Oslo.
Johann Michael Möller, (Halle/ Saale), political scientist, historian, journalist; broadcasting-director of Mitteldeutschen Rundfunks (MDR radio).
Prof. Dr. Dr. Nils Ole Oermann, (Berlin), historian, theologian, lawyer, from 2004 to 2007 privy counsellor to the President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Dr. Horst Köhler. From 2007 onwards: Director for research into "Religion, Politics and Economics" at Humboldt University Berlin. Professor for the Ethics of Sustainability at the Leuphana University (Luneburg) and elected vice president of the university.
Prof. Dr. Dr. Johannes Schilling, (Kiel) theologian, Luther researcher, president of the Luther-Gesellschaft; chair of the board of trustees of the scientific advisory council for the reformation decade "Luther 2017".
Prof. Dr. Dagmar Schipanski, doctor and professor of physics, since 1990 professor, dean and Rector of the University of Ilmenau, Thuringia; 1999 CDU/CSU candidate for the office of the Federal President of Germany; Thuringian minister for Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kunst ; and president of the Thuringian State Parliament from 2004 to 2009.
Walter Weispfenning,
(Kassel), senior church counsellor (retired), chairman of the Share Value Foundation.
Prof. Dr. Olaf Werner, professor of civil law, civil action law, trade and company and business law, since 2006 director of the Ernst-Abbe-Institute für Stiftungswesen, Jena.
