Our story

He first worked in Central America as a coffee trader, before returning to Europe in 1961 and assuming the leadership of the Austrian subsidiary of the family company. In 1970, after earning an executive master’s degree at Stanford University, Jacobs took over the management of Johann Jacobs & Co., moving the company’s headquarters to Zurich in 1973. He acquired the Suchard and Tobler brands in 1982 and eight years later sold his majority share in Jacobs Suchard to the U.S. company Philip Morris. 

In 1994 Klaus J Jacobs bundled his entrepreneurial activities in the Jacobs Holding, a global professional investment firm. In 2001 Jacobs transferred his interests in Jacobs Holding AG to the Jacobs Foundation, by means of a donation. The Foundation is now the sole beneficiary of the Jacobs Holding.

Jacobs Holding invests in control or co-control positions in companies which already have or aim for a leading market position and have further growth and value creation potential. Jacobs Holding provides deep industry knowledge and connectivity in the fields of consumer, services and healthcare, coupled with a flexible investment horizon.

The current portfolio of Jacobs Holding consists of Cognita Schools, Colosseum Dental Group, and North American Dental Group, as well as a large stake in the publicly traded company Barry Callebaut AG, the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products.