Maurice Lévy, courtesy of Publicis Groupe
June 28, 2021 – Today, The Genesis Prize Foundation announced the appointment of Maurice Lévy to its Advisory Board.
A prominent figure in the global communications industry, Maurice Lévy served 30 years as the CEO of Publicis Groupe, during which he transformed the French agency into the 3rd largest communications group in the world, operating in more than 100 countries. He made Publicis one of the industry leaders in digital and technological innovations. He is currently the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Publicis Groupe.
“We are pleased to welcome Maurice Lévy to our distinguished Advisory Board,” said Co-Founder and Chairman of The Genesis Prize Foundation Stan Polovets. “He brings to Genesis a wealth of experience and knowledge as we continue to expand the reach of the Genesis Prize, aiming to engage an even greater share of global Jewry with our philanthropic initiatives. This is especially important in France, home of the world’s third-largest Jewish community, which is facing growing and often violent forms of antisemitism.”
Maurice Lévy supports the Jewish community. Born in Morocco, he cites his rabbi grandfather as his greatest inspiration. His parents were engaged against Franco’s fascist regime and had to escape from Spain. A lifelong advocate of peace between Israelis and Palestinians, Maurice Lévy is the Chairman of the International Board of the Peres Center for Peace, and a recipient of the Center’s Peace and Innovation Award. He is also Chairman of the Board of the Pasteur-Weizmann Institute. Mr. Lévy is a co-founder of the French Brain Institute (ICM). He has been honored with numerous distinctions for his contributions to media, business leadership, tolerance and peace. Maurice Lévy is Commandeur of the French Légion d’Honneur and Grand Officier of the Ordre National du Mérite.
Maurice Lévy declared: “I am very honored and pleased to join the Genesis Prize Advisory Board. What I like about this award is not only that it recognizes personalities for their contribution to society in various forms, but more importantly that the money allocated is used for social works. Thus, at a time when a wave of antisemitism is rising almost everywhere, it is important to give the Jewish community a sense of appreciation and recognition. By contributing to the commitment of the French-speaking Jewish community to support this beautiful initiative and its social works, I feel that I am being useful and I hope to help bring the communities of the children of the Republic closer together".
The annual $1 million Genesis Prize, dubbed the “Jewish Nobel” by TIME magazine, honors extraordinary individuals for their outstanding professional achievement, contribution to humanity, and commitment to Jewish values.
For further information about the Advisory Board and Genesis Prize Committees please follow this link: https://www.genesisprize.org/about/leadership
About the Genesis Prize
The Genesis Prize is a global award that celebrates Jewish achievement and contribution to humanity. Launched in 2013, the Prize is financed through a permanent endowment of $100 million established by The Genesis Prize Foundation.
Genesis Prize Laureates to date are former New York City Mayor and philanthropist Michael Bloomberg (2014); actor, producer and peace activist Michael Douglas (2015); Itzhak Perlman, virtuoso violinist and advocate for individuals with special needs (2016); sculptor and advocate for the rights of refugees Sir Anish Kapoor (2017); Oscar-winning actress and social activist Natalie Portman (2018); owner of New England Patriots and founder of the leading Foundation to Combat Anti-Semitism Robert Kraft (2019); legendary Jewish leader and human rights activist Natan Sharansky (2020); and renowned filmmaker and philanthropist Steven Spielberg (2021). In 2018, The Genesis Prize Foundation honored U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg with a Lifetime Achievement Award for her contribution to social justice and equal rights.
Genesis Prize Laureates typically select causes that are important to them, and the $1 million prize award along with matching funds are donated to these philanthropic causes in their honor. These initiatives have included support of social entrepreneurship based on Jewish values, inclusiveness of intermarried families in Jewish life, improving the lives of individuals with special needs, helping to alleviate the global refugee crisis, advancing women’s equality, combatting antisemitism and efforts to delegitimize the State of Israel, assistance to those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and racial and economic justice in the United States.