BRENTWOOD—The  J. Paul Getty Trust announced on Monday, December 19 that it has appointed Ronald Lauder to become a member of its board of trustees.

Lauder is a businessman, art collector, philanthropist and political activist. In 1997, he established the Commission for Art Recovery, which fights to recover art that was confiscated on a large scale. In 2001, he founded the Neue Galerie in New York.

“We are thrilled to welcome Ronald Lauder to the Getty Board of Trustees,” said Maria Hummer-Tuttle, the board’s chair, in a press release. “He brings great knowledge and experience in art history and scholarship, collecting, museum management, philanthropy, and international affairs.”

Lauder was the chairman of the Museum of Modern Aer from 1995 to 2005, president of the World Jewish Congress and served on the Estée Lauder Companies in 1986 – which is also when President Ronald Regan was named U.S. ambassador to Austria.

“His lifelong involvement with the arts, combined with his business and financial acumen, will make him a tremendously valuable member of our leadership,” James Cuno, the president and CEO of the J. Paul Getty Trust, said in the statement. “He joins other board members with international expertise, helping broaden the Getty’s reach internationally.”

The J. Paul Getty Trust is the wealthiest art trust in the world with an endowment of $6.3 billion. The trust supports the J. Paul Getty Museum, the Getty Foundation, the Getty Research Institute, and the Getty Conservation Institute. The board of trustees at the Getty Center sets policies related to spending, management, governance, investment and grant making.