Esra Küçük also takes over as Chairwoman of the Board of the Schwarzkopf Foundation Young Europe.

In her new position, Esra Küçük will work to provide young people with a space for active civil engagement in Europe. This support aims to enable them to contribute to an open, inclusive, and democratic Europe. Küçük’s role also connects to her position as the CEO of the Allianz Foundation, which focuses on improving the living conditions of future generations.

She is returning to a project she once co-founded, the Young Islam Conference – an exchange platform addressing questions of coexistence in a post-migrant society.

Küçük firmly believes in the vision of the Schwarzkopf Foundation: „Without the involvement of young people, solidary coexistence in a diverse Europe is not possible. Especially in times when nationalism and exclusion are on the rise, this becomes increasingly important. I look forward to contributing, alongside the fantastic team at the Schwarzkopf Foundation, to ensuring that young and diverse voices in Europe are heard.“

André Schmitz-Schwarzkopf emphasizes, „With Esra Küçük, we have secured a true visionary for this position, who has repeatedly demonstrated her commitment to dialogue, justice, and transformation since the founding of the Young Islam Conference over ten years ago.“

During André Schmitz-Schwarzkopf’s more than 20 years as Chairman, the foundation experienced growth, both in terms of personnel and programmatic expansion. In 1996, for the 25th anniversary of the foundation, Schmitz-Schwarzkopf initiated the Young European of the Year award. In 2004, he brought the European Youth Parliament to the foundation, and in 2019, the Young Islam Conference followed.

Theo Koll, Head of the ZDF Capital Studio and a long-standing board member, expresses gratitude to André Schmitz-Schwarzkopf for his invaluable contributions: „André Schmitz-Schwarzkopf has shaped the work of the foundation for decades with his passion for Europe, his initiative, and his belief in the shaping power of the young generation. He has significantly contributed to reaching tens of thousands of young people with the European idea and passing it on.“

Esra Küçük serves as the CEO of the Allianz Foundation. Prior to this, she was a board member of the Allianz Environmental Foundation and an executive member of the foundation council of the Allianz Cultural Foundation. From 2016 to 2018, she was a member of the Directorate of the Berlin Maxim Gorki Theater, where she established and led the Gorki Forum. In 2017, she curated the debate format „Europe 21“ for the Leipzig Book Fair. In 2011, Küçük co-founded the nationwide dialogue forum, the Young Islam Conference.