UWL’s Chancellor Laurence Geller CBE receives Lifetime Achievement Award
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University of West London Chancellor Laurence Geller CBE was given a Lifetime Achievement Award for his tireless support for London’s Top Modern University - UWL- by the Vice Chancellor Professor Peter John CBE.
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Laurence has led a remarkable life. Raised in North London, he was installed as the Chancellor of UWL in May 2011. Originally a student at the School of Hotel Management and Catering at what was then Ealing Technical College, he would go on to lead major hotel chains in the US and Germany.
He serves on several boards relating to the real estate and lodging industries, including as Co-Chairman of the Industry Real Estate Financing Advisory Council of the American Hotel and Lodging Association and as American Ambassador and Fellow to the UK-based Institute of Hospitality.
Laurence was awarded a CBE by the late Queen Elizabeth II in the 2010 New Year’s Honours List.
Over the course of his career, he has donated over $20 million to humanitarian, philanthropic and cultural causes. This includes contributing over £3 million of his own money to UWL, which has helped establish the Geller Institute of Aging and Memory as Europe’s leading centre on Dementia. This illness affected both his parents in later life.
Laurence also serves as Chairman of the Churchill Centre, and is a serving member of, amongst others, the President’s Council of the Midwest Region of the US Fund for UNICEF, and The National Leadership Council for the American Jewish Committee.
Presenting him with his award Professor Peter John CBE said:
Laurence has had such an incredible impact on making UWL what it is today – a thriving, leading, modern career university. How do I sum up Laurence’s lifetime in two minutes...? With great difficulty! He has received numerous accolades in the travel and hospitality industry…He has excelled as a rugby player and track athlete…He has written two novels…He has done so much philanthropic work in critical areas including dementia care. And most importantly, he has become a friend.”
Accepting his award Laurence Geller said:
Words are inadequate to express both the honour and my delight. I am lost for words. I would like to thank UWL for teaching me I could have aspirations and how to live up to them. It gave me the privilege of my life when I was asked to become Chancellor here."
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