Pierre Gildesgame was president of the Maccabi World Union from 1973 until his sudden death in 1981. He was known as Mr. Maccabi. Under his leadership, the International Maccabiah Games Committee was founded to serve as the organization responsible for overall supervision of the quadrennial World Maccabiah Games in Israel.
Born in Poland, Gildesgame and his brother Leon spent the World War I years in Palestine, then literally walked back to Poland via Vienna to rejoin their family. The brothers became successful industrialists, and their company was a leading supplier to the prominent Marks and Spencer retail
store in London.

A brilliant motivator, Gildesgame raised enormous sums of money for his favored charities—most prominent among them, Israeli museums and the Maccabi World Union. After his 1981 death in a hit-and-run auto accident and the passing 12 years later of his wife, Maniusia, the Gildesgames were honored by numerous organizations. The Pierre Gildesgame Sports Museum in the Maccabiah Village in Ramat Gan was named in his honor.
The Tel Aviv Museum has a Gildesgame Gallery, and the Israel Museum in Jerusalem has a quiet retreat called the Mifgash Gildesgame. TheGildesgame sports grounds are located at the Efrata School in the Baka district of Jerusalem, and the British Emunah developed the Gildesgame Community Center at Netivot in the Negev. In England, there is a Gildesgame
House at MAL, as well as a Gildesgame Park in Earl Shilton, Leicestershire, where Pierre had his factories. Also, two London Maccabi Clubs created Gildesgame Endowment Funds to support their work.