Daisaku Ikeda is the president of the Soka Gakkai International (SGI), a Buddhist association of more than 12 million members in 190 countries and territories, and founder of several educational, cultural and research institutions.

He is a prolific writer, poet and peace activist, recognized as one of the leading interpreters of Buddhism, bringing its timeless wisdom to bear on the many contemporary issues confronting humanity.

President of SGI
On May 3, 1960, Ikeda succeeded Josei Toda as third president of the Soka Gakkai, a position he held until 1979.
In 1975 he became the first president of the SGI, an umbrella body for the independent constituent Soka Gakkai organizations in each country.

Activities
Ikeda's leadership of the SGI has been instrumental in making the philosophy and values of Buddhism accessible to people throughout the world. Today SGI is one of the most dynamic and diverse Buddhist organizations in the world.
As president of the organization Ikeda has traveled widely and held dialogues with leading thinkers of the world, based on his belief that dialogue is the most basic starting point for peace.
He has also written extensively, with over 50 publications to his name.

Under Ikeda's leadership, the SGI has increasingly worked to bring Buddhist wisdom to bear on the broader social problems facing humanity. In line with this vision, Ikeda has also founded a number of independent, secular organizations to further the pursuit of peace, culture and education.
These include the Soka school system, the Min-On Concert Association, the Institute of Oriental Philosophy, the Boston Research Center for the 21st Century, the Toda Institute for Global Peace and Policy Research and the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum. 

Awards
Ikeda's leadership has made him the recipient of numerous honorary doctorates and awards including the United Nations Peace Award, the International Tolerance Award of the Simon Wiesenthal Center and the Rosa Parks Humanitarian Award. 

                                                                               (quoted from: SGI Official Website )