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 22 August 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 revitalise Holocaust remembrance and ensure its perpetual relevance, in Israel and globally. His dynamic vision has come to the forefront 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.