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Discover some of the key people leading the IHRA.

IHRA Chair of the Israeli IHRA Presidency 2025 – Dani Dayan

Dani Dayan is the Chairman of Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center. His appointment as Chairman of Yad Vashem was confirmed by the Government of Israel on August 22, 2022. At that time he declared that “leading Yad Vashem is more than a position; it is a mission that I take on with awe and reverence. On our shoulders rests the responsibility to research and educate, to document and disseminate, to validate fact-based historical truths about the Holocaust and reject all forms of distortion, in order to ensure that the Jewish people and humanity will forever continue to remember this event.”

Since assuming leadership of Yad Vashem, Dayan has spearheaded strategic initiatives to revitalize Holocaust remembrance and ensure its perpetual relevance, in Israel and globally. His dynamic vision has come to the fore in an unprecedented series of meetings with world leaders, including Pope Francis, US President Biden and the chiefs of state of Germany, France, Austria, Argentina, Lithuania and numerous foreign ministers, including that of the United Arab Emirates.

Mr. Dayan is a frequent contributor of articles and interviewee in leading media channels of the world, including: New York Times, The Guardian, International Herald Tribune, Los Angeles Times, and CNN. Mr. Dayan is also invited to speak at prestigious think-tanks in Europe and America.

Prior to his position at Yad Vashem, Dayan served as Israel’s Consul General in New York. Previously, he served as Chairman of the YESHA Council and before that as Chairman of the Board and CEO of Elad Software Systems Ltd., a company he founded. In addition, Dayan volunteers as the Head of the Advisory Board of Nefesh B’Nefesh and, until his posting in New York, was a member of the Yad Vashem Council.

Dayan was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina and came to live in Israel at the age of 13. He holds a Master’s degree in Finance (with honors) from Tel Aviv University, and a Bachelor’s in Economics and Computer Science (cum laude) from Bar Ilan University.

IHRA Secretary General

 

Michaela Küchler took over as the Secretary General of the IHRA in 2025. A career diplomat, she joined the German Federal Foreign Office in 1988 and has since held a range of positions, including Press Attaché in Santiago de Chile, Cultural Attaché in former Czechoslovakia, and Consul General in Chennai. She also served as a negotiator for European Union enlargement and as a European policy adviser to two Federal Chancellors and three Federal Presidents. From 2018 to 2022, she was Germany’s Ambassador for Holocaust Remembrance and the Fight against Antisemitism, leading international efforts to strengthen Holocaust education and combat antisemitism.

She provides support and guidance to the IHRA Chair and maintains continuity from Presidency to Presidency. Together with her colleagues at the IHRA Permanent Office she coordinates the organization’s activities. Michaela also serves as the IHRA’s primary spokesperson. 

Advisory roles

Dr. Robert Williams – Advisor to the IHRA

Dr. Robert Williams was appointed Advisor to the IHRA during the 2022 Gothenburg Plenary. He is the USC Shoah Foundation Finci-Viterbi Executive Director, was on the steering committee of the Global Task Force Against Holocaust Distortion, and served for four years as Chair of the Committee on Antisemitism and Holocaust Denial.

Sir Andrew Burns – Chair of the Grant Review Committee and Strategy Implementation

Sir Andrew Burns chairs Strategy Implementation at the IHRA, which includes chairing the Grant Review Committee for external projects and the Assessments Board for internal projects. He is a former UK Ambassador to Israel, and served as UK Special Envoy for Post-Holocaust issues and Head of the UK Delegation to the IHRA for five years.

Working Group and Committee Chairs

Chair of the Academic Working Group: Leon Saltiel (Greece)

Chair of the Education Working Group: Benjamin Geissert (Norway)

Chair of the Museums and Memorials Working Group: Steven Cooke (Australia)

Chair of the Committee on Antisemitism and Holocaust Denial: Alina Bricman (Romania)

Chair of the Committee on the Genocide of the Roma: Ján Hero (Slovakia)

Chair of the Committee on the Holocaust, Genocide and Crimes against Humanity: Christian Axboe Nielsen (Denmark)

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