Wolle Chekol

Former Minister of Finance of Ethiopia

AWARD LAUREATES | Wolle Chekol


Wolle Chekol

Former Minister of Finance of Ethiopia

Wolle Chekol was an Ethiopian politician who served as the country’s Minister of Finance from 1987 to 1990. Born in 1941, he earned a degree in Economics from Haile Selassie I University and then an MA in Economics from the Centre for Development Economics in Massachusetts. Mr Chekol served as a senior expert in the Development Commission of Ethiopia before acting as the Africa Group’s Vice Chairman at the 1976 United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. The following year he was promoted to Chairman and served as the Africa Group’s Chairman at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. In 1979 he became the Minster of Foreign Trade, a position he held until 1987 when he became the Minister of Finance. After completing his term as Minister of Finance he was appointed Deputy Prime Minister of Ethiopia, a position he held from 1989 to 1991. During his career he also embarked on business ventures, acting as the General Manager of the Micor and Small Enterprise Development Programme (MSEDP) as well as being a Founding Partner and Deputy General Manager of Afroconsult PLC.

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Soichiro Honda

AWARD LAUREATES | Soichiro Honda


Soichiro Honda

Founder and Former President of Honda Motors

Soichiro Honda was the founder of the Japanese manufacturer Honda, which has been the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959. Born in Japan in 1906, his childhood was spent assisting his father in his bicycle repair business. After leaving school Mr Honda began work as an apprentice at an auto repair garage in Tokyo. In 1928, he returned to his hometown of Hamamatsu as a trained mechanic and started his own auto repair business. During this period, Mr Honda became particularly interested in cars and motorcycles. In 1937 he founded the Tōkai Seiki Company to manufacture piston rings which he sold to Toyota, a prominent Japanese car manufacturer. Following a bomb attack during World War Two which destroyed Tōkai Seiki’s plant, Mr Honda sold the remainder of his business and used the money to fund the Honda Technical Research Institute in 1946. The following year he began manufacturing motorcycles from the Honda Motor Company and within a decade Honda had become the leading motorcycle manufacturer in the world. Through effective marketing and advertising they entered the American market and opened the first US dealership in 1959. As President Mr Honda was an innovator for the Japanese business sector, promoting executives on performance basis rather than the period of time they had been working for the company. His methods attracted the press’ attention and he was admired for his business operations by American business practices.  He served as President until he retired 1973, but continued on as Director. He died in 1991 and was subsequently appointed a Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun.

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Sabancı Holding

AWARD LAUREATES | Sabancı Holding


Sabancı Holding

Industrial and Financial Conglomerate

Sabancı Holding is the largest industrial and financial conglomerate firm in Turkey. Their mission is to manage a competitive strategic portfolio with sustainable growth potential, to create value for all stakeholders. Sabancı Holding has grown considerably since its inception, and it currently controls 70 companies, many of which are recognised leaders in their respective sectors. They have subsidiaries in varying industries such as energy, retail, telecommunications, automotive, textiles, hospitality and consumer goods. Sabancı Holding companies today operate in more than 18 countries and have expanded their business to include multinational partner companies such as Citigroup and Carrefour. The Sabancı family collectively remain Sabancı Holding’s major shareholders owning 60.6% of the share capital, while shares are also traded on the Istanbul Stock Exchange with a free float rate of 39.4%.

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Rafael Termes

AWARD LAUREATES | Rafael Termes


Rafael Termes

Author and Professor at IESE

Rafael Termes was presented with the 2004 Gold Mercury Award for Global Economic and Social Policy for his contribution to the areas of economics and finance. Born in Barcelona in 1918, Professor Termes graduated as an industrial engineer but eventually settled on a career in finance. In 1955 he was appointed Regional Advisor to the Banco Popular Español, a role he held until he became the Vice-President of the Regional Council in Barcelona in 1960. In 1964, Professor Termes became a member of the Board of Banco Popular Español and helped set up the Spanish Analysts Investment Institute the following year. From 1970 to 1973 he represented Spain in the European Federation of Financial Analysts Societies and from 1977 to 1990 he served as the President of The Spanish Association of Private Banks (AEB). From 1978 until 1985, he was a Member of the Executive Council of the Association for the Advancement of Management. Professor Termes taught for many years at the IESE Business School, specialising in finance. He also served as the Honorary President of the Spanish Institute of Financial Analysts and the President of the International Centre of Financial Research at IESE. Professor Termes was the author of several books and landmark studies which focused on the notion of market economics as the best system to organise ethical societies. He published many works including: El Poder Creador del Riesgo (1986); Del Estatismo a la Libertad: Perspectiva de los Países del Este (1990); Desde la Banca: Tres Décadas de la Vida Económica Española (1991); Antropología del Capitalismo: Un Debate Abierto (1992); Las Causas del Paro (1995); and Desde la Libertad (1997). Professor Termes has been honoured with numerous awards including the Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit, the Free Enterprise Award and the Economics Prize Infanta Cristina Castilla y Leon.

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OPEC

OPEC

Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries

Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is a permanent intergovernmental organisation comprised of the following twelve oil producing countries: Algeria, Angola, Ecuador, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Venezuela. Its aim is to co-ordinate and unify petroleum policies amongst member countries to ensure fair and stable prices for producers and a regular and efficient supply to consumer nations. It was formed at the Baghdad Conference in September 1960, with the five founding members being Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. For the first five years of its existence, OPEC headquarters were located in Geneva, before moving to Vienna in 1965. During the 1970′s, OPEC experienced international coverage as member countries began to seize control of their domestic petroleum industries. In 1976 the OPEC Fund for International Development was established. OPEC initiatives reduced the market impact of Middle East hostilities in 1990 to 1991. Furthermore, innovative OPEC oil prices assisted in strengthening and stabilising crude oil prices in the early 2000′s. In 2007, OPEC established stable energy markets, sustainable development practices and environmental policies as three guiding themes for the future of their policies and initiatives.

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José Figueres Ferrer

AWARD LAUREATES | José Figueres Ferrer


José Figueres Ferrer

Former President of Costa Rica

José Figueres Ferrer was a moderate Costa Rican politician who served as President of a governing Junta and then later as constitutional President. He studied at universities in Costa Rica and Mexico before also being educated at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Upon his return to Costa Rica in 1928, Mr Figueres Ferrer bought a farm and became a successful coffee grower and rope manufacturer, whilst also building houses and providing medical care for his workers. In 1942 his criticism of the government forced him to become an exile in Mexico for two years. When he returned to Costa Rica he formed the Democratic Party, which eventually became the Social Democratic Party. Mr Figueres Ferrer then began training the Caribbean legion, a force of 700. Following the 1948 presidential election where Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia sought reinstatement after being defeated by Otilio Ulate Blanco, Mr Figueres Ferrer obtained the arms and ammunition he had hidden on his plantation and led an uprising in support of President Ulate. After two months of civil war, the Costa Rican army was defeated and Mr Figueres Ferrer became the President of the provisional Junta, who wrote a constitution which abolished the army and granted women the right to vote as well as guaranteeing public education for all. He handed power over to President Ulate after serving as provisional President, yet he was elected President in 1953 after President Ulate had completed his term. During his term in office he vowed to follow a pro-United States policy due to his strong anti-communist stance. He also nationalised banks and implemented numerous social reforms. He was elected for a second term in 1958 and during this term he worked with several UN agencies to improve conditions in Costa Rica, as well as writing articles on Costa Rica and Caribbean politics. He became a symbol of the ‘democratic left’ in Latin America and became one of the first Latin American presidents to embark on diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union. During his third term as President from 1970 to 1974 Mr Figueres Ferrer prevented an economic collapse by discovering a new market through which Costa Rica could sell 30,000 tonnes of coffee to the Soviet Union. He also managed to sustain Costa Rica’s volatile economy during this period by negotiating with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to receive aid. After his presidency he became an Ambassador for subsequent administrations and supported the Sandinista revolution in Nicaragua. He also rallied against U.S policy to support Nicaragua’s contra guerrillas.

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Jean Rey

AWARD LAUREATES | Jean Rey


Jean Rey

President of The European Commission

Jean Rey was a Belgian politician who served as the President of the European Commission. Born in 1902, he obtained a PHD in Law from the University of Liège in 1926. He initially embarked on a law career, serving as a Barrister at the Court of Appeal. He soon became, however, more actively involved in politics and in 1935 he joined the Liberal Party and was subsequently elected City Councillor of Liège. In 1939 he rose to obtain a seat in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives. He became increasingly active in his opposition of the Belgian policy of neutrality during the Second World War and after becoming a reserve officer he was captured by the Germans and taken to a Nazi concentration Camp where he spent the duration of the war. Following the conclusion of the war he returned to his political career, and in 1947 in strongly supported passing a bill which would see Belgium become a federal state. In 1949 he was appointed the Minister of Reconstruction and from 1954 to 1958 he served as the Minister of Economy. In this role he was involved in the development of the European Coal and Steel Community as well as the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC). During his time at the EEC he played an active part in Walter Hallstein’s merger treaty, which saw the three communities being combined to form the European Commission. Due to the lead role he eventually came to play in the merger, he was appointed President of the European Commission shortly after its formation. The Commission eventually increased to fourteen members and oversaw the completion of the Community’s Custom Unions in 1968. At the Summit of The Hague in 1969, whereby European leaders had met to reinvigorate European integration, Mr Rey played a key role and was an influential member in the eventual decision of admitting the United Kingdom to the Commission. In the final year of his presidency Mr Rey also won the support of European governments for his idea to allow the community their ‘own resources’, which meant the European Commission could gain revenues from custom duties and levies on agricultural products. Mr Rey continued his goal for an integrated Europe by leading the European Movement from 1974 to 1978 and in the following year he became a member of the first European Parliament. He continued to remain involved within politics until his death in 1983.

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Janusz Burakiewicz

AWARD LAUREATES | Janusz Burakiewicz


Janusz Burakiewicz

Former Minister of Shipping and Foreign Trade of Poland

Janusz Burakiewicz was a Polish politician and diplomat who formerly served as the Minister of Shipping and Foreign Trade. Born in 1961, he spent four years as a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps from 1941 to 1945. He entered a career in politics and quickly rose to become Minister of Shipping from 1964 to 1969. He then went on to become the Minister of Foreign Trade from 1969 to 1971, before serving as the Polish Ambassador in Belgrade from 1971 to 1978.

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Instituto de Cooperación Iberoamericana

AWARD LAUREATES | Instituto de Cooperación Iberoamericana


Instituto de Cooperación Iberoamericana

Spanish Organisation for Cooperation and Development

Instituto de Cooperación Iberoamericana (ICI) was a Spanish organisation, created in 1979 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and based in Madrid. ICI’s predecessors were the Instituto de Cultura Hispánica and the Centro Iberoamericano de Cooperación, whose aims were to preserve the idea of Hispanic culture. In November 1988, ICI became the AECI (Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional) and experienced a change in its functions and infrastructure. In 2007 AECI became a state agency and transferred its name to AECID (Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo). Currently AECID’s objectives are to manage and implement public policies directed at international cooperation to ensure sustainable development. They also work to actively build peace and move towards global citizenship. Poverty reduction is the ultimate goal of the AECID and they use the Millennium Development Goals as a reference to guide their work. They currently have 44 technical cooperation offices and 15 cultural training centres located in partner countries worldwide.

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Hernando De Soto

AWARD LAUREATES | Hernando De Soto


Hernando De Soto

President of the Institute for Liberty and Democracy (ILD)

Hernando De Soto won the 2006 Gold Mercury Social & Economic Policy Award for his work with the Institute for Liberty and Democracy (ILD).  As President of the ILD, Mr De Soto’s organisation has been able to work with Heads of State, aiming to simplify and restructure the process of granting property rights. This in turn has transformed the lives of many poor people and greatly improved the rate of economic development within the country. Mr De Soto has had a pioneering influence in initiating changes in the structure of law. This altered Peru’s economic system, recognising the property claims of thousands of people who had previously operated in the ‘extra-legal’ sector. The ILD has allowed this system to be opened to everyone by reducing excessive regulatory processes and granting legal recognition to the already existing property claims of hundreds of thousands of poor people. The potential for both their individual economic development and that of their country has been made obtainable. Hernando De Soto’s commendable work and policy reforms have acted as a tool for other policy makers around the globe.

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Hernando De Soto Award Announcement

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