NEW YORK (JTA) — The Claims Conference has elected Gregory Schneider as its next executive vice president.
Schneider has worked 14 years for the Claims Conference, mostly as its chief operating officer. He was elected unanimously Wednesday by the board of directors.
The Claims Conference, which has administered billions of dollars in German restitution payments to Holocaust survivors, doles out more than $100 million annually in its Institutional Allocations Program from funds acquired from the sale of heirless Jewish property in the former East Germany.
Schneider has overseen the program since its inception in 1995, facilitating its growth from $90 million allocated in 24 countries to the $190 million in 2009 to benefit Nazi victims in 43 countries.
He will succeed Gideon Taylor, who will be returning to the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, where he worked prior to taking the helm of the Claims Conference.
“I am confident that Mr. Schneider will be an exemplary executive vice president, guiding the staff with vision for the challenges that lie ahead, and continuing the Claims Conference tradition of strong executive leadership,” said the organization’s chairman, Julius Berman. “He is unquestionably dedicated to serving Jewish victims of Nazism, with a drive and commitment that has resulted in payments to hundreds of thousands of them and groundbreaking social care in more than 40 countries. Mr. Schneider is highly respected by the entire board for his foresight, intellect, and creativity.”
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