On May 20, 2026, the Sciences Po American Foundation will honor Axel Dumas with the Stanley Hoffmann Award at its 2026 Annual Benefit dinner in New York. Through this award, we wish to honor Axel Dumas, whose global vision, cultural stewardship, and principled leadership reflect the very spirit of the Stanley Hoffmann Award, bridging tradition with innovation.

Born in 1970, Axel Dumas is a great-grandson of Émile Hermès and a sixth generation member of the family that founded the house, established by Thierry Hermès in 1837.
A graduate of Sciences Po Paris and Harvard Business School (AMP), he also holds a Master’s degree in law and a Bachelor’s degree in philosophy.
After eight years at Paribas in Beijing and New York, he joined the family firm in 2003. He successively occupied the positions of auditor with the financial department, retail director for France, managing director of Hermès Bijouterie (2006), then of the leather Goods-Saddlery métier (2008) and chief operating officer (2011), before being appointed executive chairman of Hermès International in 2013.

The Gala supports our mission to heighten the awareness of Sciences Po in the United States and bring its spectacular reputation as a vital voice and convener of political thought in Europe. We support students from the United States studying at Sciences Po and encourage Sciences Po researchers to engage in transatlantic dialogue and collaboration with peers in any U.S. university. Our ambition is to amplify Sciences Po's transatlantic collaboration.

RSVP and Join the Benefit Committee