The Hellenic American University in Athens, Greece, awarded Hollywood producer Sid Ganis with an honorary degree during its 12th annual Commencement Ceremony on June 30.

The ceremony was held to celebrate graduates from the classes of 2020, 2021 and 2022 — a joint celebration due to previous cancellations from the COVID pandemic.

Ganis is one of the most celebrated and successful film executives in the motion picture industry. His career includes leadership roles at studios such as Lucasfilm, 20th Century Fox, Columbia Pictures, Paramount, Seven Arts and Warner Bros. 

At Lucasfilm he served as senior vice president and was responsible for marketing The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi and the first two installments of the Indiana Jones trilogy.

In 1986, Ganis joined Paramount Pictures and later became president of the Motion Picture Group, where he helped launch Top Gun and Fatal Attraction. As president, he oversaw the development and production of international hits Ghost and Forrest Gump, which remain among Paramount’s most successful films of all time.

After leaving Paramount in 1990, Ganis became president of marketing and distribution at Columbia Pictures. He served on the board of directors for numerous companies — including Marvel Entertainment for a decade — and for several film festivals and film-related institutions. 

Ganis served as president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (organizers of the Academy Awards) for four consecutive terms. 

He was recently appointed a lifetime trustee on the board of the Academy’s Museum, which opened in September 2021.

Click here to watch the full ceremony.