Rudolf Dassler

AWARD LAUREATES | Rudolf Dassler


Rudolf Dassler

Founder PUMA

Rudolf Dassler was the founder of German sportswear company PUMA. The company began in 1924 when Dassler joined his brother in forming a shoe factory. The company gained a significant amount of publicity and increased sales after American sprinter Jesse Owns wore Dassler’s spiked track shoes at the 1936 summer Olympics. After they both joined the Nazi party, the relationship between the two brothers became fractured, which led them to split the business in 1948. Mr Dassler then went on to create a new sportswear company which was initially named Ruda before the name was changed to PUMA in 1948. The business grew quickly, with athletes and every day Germans favouring the PUMA footwear. Following Mr Dassler’s retirement he handed control of the company over to his son who helped transform the company into a worldwide phenomenon.

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H.M. King Baudouin I

AWARD LAUREATES | H.M. King Baudouin I


H.M. King Baudouin I

King of the Belgians

H.M. King Baudouin I reigned as King of the Belgians from 1953 until 1993. Born in Belgium in 1930, he became King following his father’s abdication in 1951. King Leopold III had requested the Belgian government delegate his royal powers to his son and also allow him to ascend the throne. Upon becoming King, he found he had inherited a monarchy in crisis due to his father’s controversial actions during World War Two and his subsequent abdication. To further complicate matters the country was split in two due to provinces being separated by French and Flemish speakers. During his reign, however, King Badouin devoted himself to reconciling the two groups and unifying the country. He also attempted to bring peace abroad, as shown by his desire to act as a mediator to Belgium’s colonies who were moving towards independence. In 1959, he travelled to the Congo in order to help prevent the country succumbing to a state of anarchy. While his presence provoked demonstrators he was credited for his attempts at peace-making when he returned to Belgium. The colony of Congo eventually gained independence during King Badouin’s reign and he chose to personally attend the celebrations. In 1976 he formed the King Badouin Foundation, a foundation that is still active today and serves to improve the living conditions of the population. He was regarded as an honest, hardworking and involved King whose devout Roman Catholic faith influenced many of his policy decisions. He was bestowed with numerous awards before his death in 1993 and was succeeded by his younger brother, Prince Albert of Liege.

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Axel Springer Verlag

AWARD LAUREATES | Axel Springer Verlag


Axel Springer Verlag

Media Company

Axel Springer Verlag is one of the largest media companies in Europe. It was founded in 1946 by Axel Springer and his father Hinrich Springer and began with the launch of the Nordwestdeutsche Hefte and Horzu publications. These were soon followed by the Hamburger Abendblatt, the Bild and the Sonntag. In 1953 Axel Springer expanded with the acquisition of Die Welt, Welt am and Das Neue Blatt. Axel Springer became known for promoting German reunification through his newspapers and publications and by the 1960′s and 1970′s the company came under attack from left wing groups. In 1972 The Red Army Faction claimed responsibility for six bombs being placed the company’s Hamburg headquarters. In contemporary times, the company has gone on to become the largest publishing house in Europe, as it accounts for a 23.6% share of the German daily newspaper market. One of the original newspapers acquired by Axel Springer continues to be the highest circulating newspaper in Europe with a daily readership of 12 million people. Today, its 230 publications are varied and include news, automobiles, sports, computers, electronics, women and lifestyle newspapers and magazines. Its expansion is also present internationally as it currently operates out of 36 countries and has 11,500 employees.

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Armand Petitjean

AWARD LAUREATES | Armand Petitjean


Armand Petitjean

Former President Lancôme

Armand Petitjean (1884-1969) was the founder of Lancôme, the internationally recognised cosmetics brand, whose name itself was initially inspired by the ruins of a castle. Born into a family of distillers, he founded the company in France in 1935. His motive was to create a brand that was able to deliver the much sought after ideal of French elegance to the world. His initial five perfumes were a big success and he eventually moved on to develop skincare products. His first skincare product was launched in 1936; a repair cream called Nutrix, which is still available today. In 1938 he branched into cosmetics, with his branch of Lancôme lipsticks becoming bestsellers. He was notoriously critical of advertising, stating that Lancôme would never advertise, making its early success all the more impressive. In 1961 he sold the company to his son, who subsequently sold Lancôme to L’Oreal in 1964. Today Lancôme remains one of the top brands in the luxury beauty sector, represented and used by models, actresses and make-up artists alike.

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Al Ahram

AWARD LAUREATES | Al Ahram


Al Ahram

Newspaper

Al Ahram, founded in 1875, is Egypt’s largest news organisation. The newspaper publishes several editions; one geared towards a strictly Arab demographic and another aimed at international audiences, which has versions in both English and French. The newspaper was originally founded by the Lebanese brothers Beshara Takla and Saleem Takla, who were living in Alexandria at the time. In its early stages, it was a weekly newspaper that was published every Saturday. However two months after its creation it was turned into a daily newspaper and has been running as such ever since. During its time in publication Al Ahram has featured many prominent writers including the religious innovators Muhammad Abduh and Jamal al-Din al-Afghani. Furthermore, Nobel Prize winning writer Naguib Mahfouz, Salama Moussa, Taha Hussein, Yusuf Idris, Edward Said, Anis Mansour and Mohammad Hassanein Heykal have also written for the newspaper.

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Akio Morita

AWARD LAUREATES | Akio Morita


Akio Morita

Founder of Sony Corporation

Akio Morita was a Japanese businessman who co-founded the Sony Corporation. Born in Nagoya in 1921, his family were sake brewers who had been in the business for over 400 years. Mr Morita was viewed as the natural heir to the family business. From an early age he had a preoccupation with the functions of electronic appliances and was interested in maths and physics during his schooling years. He went on to study Physics at Osaka Imperial University and upon graduating was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Japanese Army during World War Two. It was during this time that Mr Morita met Masaru Ibuka, who would later become his co-founder of the Sony Corporation. In 1946 Mr Morita and Mr Ibuka founded the Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo K.K, which had 20 employees and an initial capital of 190,000 yen. In 1949 the company developed the magnetic recording tape and sold its first tape recorder in 1950. By 1957 they had created a pocket-sized radio and in 1958 they changed their company name to Sony. During this period, Mr Morita was instrumental in Sony’s marketing, finances and human resources departments while Mr Ibuka worked on product improvements and technological developments. In 1960 they produced the first transistor television and in 1975 they produced the first home video recorder. In 1979 they released the Walkman, which became the world’s first portable music player. In 1984 they produced the Discman; an advancement on their previous Walkman products. From 1960 onward they expanded their company, opening up stores in the United States and becoming the first Japanese company to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Mr Morita relinquished his position as Chairman in 1994 due to illness and died in 1999.

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