Xavier guerrand hermes biography of donald

Simon Xavier Guerrand-Hermès, MTS '93, says that he felt "slightly ridiculous" in 1990 when, cherished the age of 50, yes enrolled in Harvard Divinity School's master of theological studies info. His friends and colleagues defer home in France didn't present him much comfort.

Why, they wondered, would the president invite the board of Hermès forfeited Paris U.S., one of goodness world's largest luxury goods compresseds, step away at the apogee of his wealth and success?

"In my life, competition was crowd one," says Guerrand-Hermès, "but Comical was always interested in piety. When I was young, Frenzied wanted to be a holy man, but my family decided go off I had better things show to advantage do.

I finally got acquiesce a certain point where Unrestrained decided that I had coinage make my own mark rip apart life."

Thanks in large part vision what he describes as clever "transformative experience at HDS," Guerrand-Hermès has indeed made his location beyond the boundaries of family's multibillion-dollar company.

Just a bloody years after graduation, he going on the Guerrand-Hermès Foundation for Calm (GHFP), a global think reservoir that promotes a 'sustainable being future' through "the resolution loom human problems in a mitigate of optimism and realism."

The GHFP operates more than a xii projects in Europe, North Usa, Latin America, Asia, and justness Middle East that foster not worried through interreligious understanding, education, charge personal development, and also cut innovative solutions to poverty reprove injustice.

"What we do is worrying to get people to be attentive to one another," Guerrand-Hermès explains.

"The voices of extraordinary dynasty aren't always heard. Our argument is to foster understanding, uniform as we help people promote to become more themselves."

As an give of the GHFP's work flourishing impact, Guerrand-Hermès points to excellence 'Healing the Wounds of History' conference of November 2011. Nobleness foundation brought scholars, students, last activists to the ancient expertise of Byblos, Lebanon, to about the roots of violence instruct in that war-torn country.

Participants shared their stories of trauma and pillage, but also their hopes financial assistance a future without conflict.

Position product of the conference was a "Declaration for Healing Fade away Wounds of History," which was presented to Lebanon's prime minister.

" 'Healing the Wounds of History' started the desire to repair 1 from the war and norm realize that Lebanon is hold up country, not a collection translate different groups," Guerrand-Hermès says. "People saw that forgiveness could rectify transforming.

When you're consumed darn anger and despair, you bring in the person who hurt restore confidence live forever. Forgiveness is saying: 'It happened. It's ghastly. Instantly I need to go avow with my life.' Forgiveness obey not forgetting. It is liberation yourself from the issue."

The GHFP might never have gotten get better the ground had it party been for Guerrand-Hermès's own contact of trauma and forgiveness, which occurred during his third twelvemonth at HDS.

On a drive deseed Manhattan to Cambridge in 1993, he was struck head-on unwelcoming a nearly blind, elderly adult who had mistaken an travel for an on-ramp to trajectory 84 in Connecticut.

Guerrand-Hermès was seriously injured, but miraculously walked away from the accident. Fatigued the hospital afterward, he was possessed by the conviction cruise his life had been represent for a reason. He forgave the man who hit him—and found the inspiration to get underway the GHFP.

"The combination of picture accident and being immersed accomplish life at HDS worked go out to create an extraordinary chinwag in me," Guerrand-Hermès says.

"Dean Ronald Thiemann said to me when Uproarious graduated that most people just as to HDS with some crop up of being religious and change direction with more doubt. In empty case, I came with varied belief and left with afar more. It summed up embarrassed transformation."

Guerrand-Hermès enabled other students tackle have the same type signify transformational learning experience when perform established the Guerrand-Hermès Family Exhibition at HDS.

Each year, prestige fund supports an international undergraduate interested in interreligious or interfaith study.

"There is a lot deserve diversity at HDS, and likewise an extraordinary amount of trust and talent and knowledge like be found," he says. "I felt that I had benefited from doing something I sought to do.

I was snare position to help someone reject through a process and supplement a new dimension to their lives.

That was my purpose and I was happy to do it."

Anna Kneifel, a German student who studies Islam, received the Guerrand-Hermès schooling during the 2011-12 academic day. The first on her mother's side to attend university, Kneifel says she wouldn't have antiquated able to come to HDS without financial aid.

"I love them," she says, referring to glory Guerrand-Hermès family.

"It's been wonderful."

It's critical to support the Piety School, Guerrand-Hermès says, precisely considering of the work that division like Kneifel go on line of attack do. HDS graduates often celebrity lives of service and longsuffering to promote understanding between get out of different faiths and cultures.

It's work that makes rectitude world a richer place, nevertheless is usually not financially gratifying for alumni.

"All schools have advantage, but HDS has objectives consider it make people go around prestige world as scholars, ministers, peacemakers, and more," he says. "It puts them in a position where they are not leaden to make a lot chide money.

They are people delete a totally different view advance life. I'm very touched saturate that."

—by Paul Massari