Programme

Born on August 28, 1957. Graduated from Chelyabinsk Polytechnic Institute in 1979. Holds a PhD in Economics. • Since 1998 held a number of posts in the Government of the Russian Federation, serving as Deputy Prime Minister, First Deputy Prime Minister. • 2004-2008 – Minister of Industry and Energy of the Russian Federation. • 2008-2011 – Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation. • On February 1, 2012 was appointed Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission. The Chairman of the EEC Board organizes the activities of the Commission Board and bears responsibility for the exercise of its functions.

In December 2013, Ms.Shamshad Akhtar was appointed by the UN Secretary-General as United Nations Under-Secretary-General and the tenth Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). She also serves as UN Sherpa for the G20. Previously the Secretary-General’s Senior Advisor on Economics and Finance, as well as Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development, she led the UN-wide coordination of the post-2015 development agenda and related policy and normative work, including supporting work on the Sustainable Financing Strategy. She served as Governor of the Central Bank of Pakistan from 2006 to 2009; Vice President of the World Bank’s Middle East and North Africa Region; and held a range of senior posts in the Asian Development Bank, including that of Director-General (South-East Asia region). Ms. Akhtar was a post-doctoral US Fulbright Fellow at Harvard University, holds a PhD in Economics from the Paisley College of Technology, a Master in Development Economics from the University of Sussex, and an MSc in Economics from Quaid-i-Azam University.

Born April, 11, 1958, in Moscow, Russian. Graduated from Moscow financial institute, faculty of the international economic relations.Member of the Board (Minister) at the Eurasian Economic Commission, responsible for the development of the integration and macroeconomics. The main objective of the Eurasian Economic Commission (permanent regulatory body of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), including Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia) is to ensure functioning and development of the EAEU, to prepare proposals for its further integration.Prior to her cabinet appointment (from the period of October 2001 till February 2012) Tatiana Valovaya was the Head of the Department of the International Cooperation of the Government of the Russian Federation. From 1989 to 1994 – member of the Permanent Mission of the USSRand the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the European Union (Bruxelles), responsible for economic and monetary affaires. Later Valovaya hold different positions in the Ministries of the Russian Federation, in Administration of the President of the Russian Federation. Ph.D. in Economics, professor of the Financial University (Moscow). Author of numerous publications on international economic relations, regional economic and monetary integration, economics, and history of Europe and Eurasia.Fluent in English and French.

Experience: 2007-Current: Vice-Minister - Ministry of Trade and Industry. 2004-2007: Director General of Trade Policy Department for the Americas – Ministry of Trade. 2003-2004: Director General of Europe-America Department – Ministry of Trade. 1998-2003: CEO of Intimex Import-Export Corporation. 1991-1998: CEO of Vietnam Import-Export Service Investment Company (Vicosimex Hanoi) 1987-1990: Official at the Ministry of Trade. 1980-1987: working at Vietnam National Machinery Import-Export Corporation (Machino Import), Ministry of Trade. Education: Bachelor in Electronics Technology – Hanoi University of Technology. Master of Arts in Economics and Foreign Trade – The Foreign Trade Academy, Moscow, Soviet Union. Master of Arts in General Management – Northwestern University, Kellogg Graduate School of Management – United States.

Eckhard Cordes was born in Neumünster/Germany in 1950. After studying business administration and obtaining his PhD in this field, he joined Daimler-Benz AG (today Daimler AG) in 1976. From 1976 until 1996 he held various operative and strategic executive positions within the DaimlerChrysler Group in Germany and abroad. From 1996 until 2005 he was member of the Daimler-Benz/DaimlerChrysler Group Management Board with shifting core responsibilities, inter alia the Commercial Vehicle Division and the Mercedes Benz Car Group. From 2006 until 2009 he held the position as CEO and Chairman of the Management Board of Franz Haniel & Cie. GmbH. From February 2006 until October 2007 he was also Chairman of the METRO AG Supervisory Board. From the 1st of November 2007 until the 31st of December 2011 he was Chairman of the Management Board and CEO of METRO AG. Since the 1st of December 2010 Eckhard Cordes is Chairman of The Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations. Eckhard Cordes is Partner of EMERAM Capital Partners GmbH since the 1st of May 2012. On November 5th, 2014 Eckhard Cordes was appointed Member of the Supervisory Board at Bilfinger SE. From the 1st of April 2015 Eckhard Cordes is a Member of the Board of AB Volvo.

Alexey Likhachev was born on the 23rd of December, 1962, in Arzamas-75 (Sarov). 1985: the Lobachevsky State University of Gorky, the Radiophysical Department. 1998: Ph.D. in Economics, the Lobachevsky State University of Gorky. 1985 – 1987: Engineer at the Gorky Research Institute of Instrument Engineering. 1987 - 1988: Secretary of the Youth League Committee at the Gorky Research Institute. 1988 – 1992: the Second Secretary, the First Secretary, the Secretary of the Gorky Youth League Committee. 1992 – 2000: Director of Aval, Social and Industrial Insurance Company, Nizhni Novgorod. 2000 – 2007: State Duma Deputy of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, a committee member, Deputy Chairperson of the State Duma Committee of the RF for economic policy, business and tourism. 2007 – 2008: Councilor to the Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation. 2008 – 2010: Director of the Joint Department of Analysis and Regulation of Foreign Economic Activity at the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation. 2010 – 2015: Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation. Since 13 February, 2015, A. Likhachev held the position of the First Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation. Since 5 October, 2016, Alexey Likhachev held the position of the Director General of ROSATOM.

The Chairman of the Management Board manages the operations of the Bank and the Management Board in compliance with the Bank’s Charter. The Chairman of the Management Board is elected for four years. The Chairman is answerable to the Bank’s Board regarding resolutions, organization of the Bank’s activities and the Bank’s performance. The competences of the Chairman of the Management Board are specified in the Bank’s charter. Dmitry Pankin graduated from the Political Economy Department of the Leningrad State University named after Andrey Zhdanov, and is a candidate of economics. He had professional development courses at Bocconi University in Milan and the City University Business School in London. In 1999-2000, Dmitry Pankin headed a department at RAO UES of Russia. In 2000-2003, he chaired the Board at the St. Petersburg Bank for Reconstruction and Development. In 2004-2011, he worked as Deputy Director and then Director of the Department for International Financial Relations, Public Debt and Public Financial Assets at the Russian Ministry of Finance, and then as Deputy Minister of Finance. In 2011-2013, he headed the Federal Financial Markets Service of the Russian Federation. In 2013-2015, Dmitry Pankin was Deputy Minister of Finance of the Russian Federation. On 6 February 2015 he was appointed as the Chairman of the Management Board at EDB. Dmitry Pankin was awarded the Second Class Medal of the Order for Merit to the Fatherland in 2007 and the Order of Friendship in 2011, and received acknowledgement letters from the President and the Minister of Finance of the Russian Federation. Dmitry Pankin is an active First Class State Counsellor of the Russian Federation.

Daniel A. Russell is the President and CEO of the U.S.-Russia Business Council. Previously, he was Deputy Assistant Secretary of State responsible for relations with Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, and Belarus and for international security and arms control issues in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs until July 2013. A career member of the Foreign Service, Mr. Russell served as Chief of Staff to Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs William Burns from 2008 to 2009, as Deputy Chief of Mission in Moscow from 2005 to 2008 and as Deputy Chief of Mission in Almaty, Kazakhstan from 2000 to 2003. Since joining the Foreign Service in 1983, Mr. Russell has held positions in Washington and abroad, including Director of the Office of Russian Affairs, Director of the Office of European Political and Security Affairs, Consul General at the U.S. Consulate in Yekaterinburg, Special Assistant for Europe to the Under Secretary of Political Affairs, and First Secretary at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow. Mr. Russell has worked in the State Department offices responsible for relations with the United Kingdom and Cuba and served at the U.S. Embassies in El Salvador and the Dominican Republic. Mr. Russell holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Maine and an M.A. in International Affairs from George Washington University.

He was born on January 29, 1960.In 1978, he graduated from Yerevan Technical School No.14 and went to Yerevan Institute of National Economy. In 1980, he transferred to Leningrad Institute of Economics and Finance named after N. A. Voznesenski, where in 1983 he graduated with an honours degree. In 1987, he completed his postgraduate studies and defended his thesis on the topic "Planning Regional Socio-Economic Development with Armenia as a Case Study". He has earned a Ph.D In Economics.From 1987 to 1990, he worked as senior researcher, head of the international economic relations group in the Scientific Research Institute of Economy and Planning.From 1990 to 1995, he served as Deputy of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Armenia, Chairman of the Standing Committee on Financial, Credit and Budgetary Affairs of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Armenia, and Member of the Presidium of the Supreme Council.From 1995 to 1998, he was the President of the Association of Banks of Armenia.From 1998 to 2008, he held the position of the Chairman of the Central Bank of the Republic of Armenia.From 2008 to 2014, he was the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia.From 2014 to 2016, he served as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia to the United States.From February 1, 2016, he has occupied the position of Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission.By the Presidential Decree of the Republic of Armenia, he was awarded the Medal for Service to the Fatherland, 1st class. He was awarded the Anania Shirakatsi Medal. He holds the title of honorary doctor of the Armenian State University of Economics.

Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman was born on 18th August 1959 in the temple town of Madurai, Tamil Nadu. She did her schooling and her graduation in Economics, from Seethalakshmi Ramaswamy College in Tiruchirapalli. She went on to do her Masters in Economics from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Indo-European Textile Trade was the focus of her draft Ph.D thesis. Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman served as an assistant to Economist in the Agricultural Engineers Association, UK in London. She subsequently worked as Senior Manager (Research and Analysis) with Price Waterhouse, London. During this time she also briefly worked with BBC World Service. On her return to India, she served as Dy. Director of the Centre for Public Policy Studies at Hyderabad. Her interest in education led her to lay the foundation of ‘Parnava’, a reputed school in Hyderabad. She was a member of the National Commission for Women from 2003-2005 and instrumental in voicing various issues of women empowerment. Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman joined Bhartiya Janata Party in 2008, and was made a member of the National Executive. She was nominated as party spokesperson in March 2010, from when she has been a full time party worker. Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman was inducted in the Union of India’s Cabinet in a Government led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 26th May 2014. She is now Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Commerce and Industry. Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman is married to Dr. Parakala Prabhakar, alumnus of Jawharlal Nehru University and London School of Economics, and they have one daughter.

Date and place of birth: 25 June 1945, Germany. 1965 – 1975 Employment abroad in foreign representative offices and daughter companies of European and global operating companies in UK, USA, South-Eastern Asia. 1975 – 1987 Management position with Klöckner Industrieanlagen Duisburg, Germany Corporate Development, Marketing and Project Management in the Middle East and South East Asia. 1988 – 1992 Vice President of the company Anton Ohlert, Trade Representative Company in the Soviet Union.1992 - Opening of the Ruhrgas AG, Germany, Representative Office in Moscow. Business Development with Gazprom and affiliated companies. Marketing strategies for the Ruhrgas AG investment in Russia. Acquisition of Gazprom shares, largest foreign Shareholder in Gazprom. 2005 - E.ON AG, Germany, Global Group Representative office in Moscow. Business development for E.ON direct investment in the Russian Power sector, Acquisition of OGK-4. E.ON Ruhrgas AG strategic investment in the up-stream sector, Yuzhno Russkoje gas field acquisition. E.ON Ruhrgas AG long term gas delivery contracts with Gazprom Export. 2008 - E.ON Russia OOO - Managing Director. E.ON’s Russian operations and investments. Strategic partnership with Gazprom and the Russian power producing industry, largest foreign power producer in Russia. 2011 till 2013 - E.ON Ruhrgas AG, Head of Representative Office in the Russian Federation. 2013 till now – E.ON Global Commodities SE, Head of Representative Office in the Russian Federation. Present positions: Chairman of Honorary Council, AEB, Moscow. Member of the EU – Russian Energy Dialogue, EU – Russia Gas Advisory Council, Brussels – Moscow. Member of the Board of Directors of E.ON Russia, Moscow. RSPP, Co-Chairman of the International Council for Cooperation and Investment in the Russian Federation. Member of Social Council under Presidential Commissioner (Titov B.Y,) for Entrepreneurs’ Rights in the Russian Federation. IE Singapore, Honorary Business Representative Russia, IE Singapore Ministry of Trade and Industry. Merits/Awards: 2005 - «Honored Russian Gas Field Worker». 2010 - Award by the President of the Russian Federation with the distinctive Pushkin Medal. 2011 - Honorary Decree in Energy Engineering Universita Degli Studi Guglielmo Marconi - Roma. Applied Science and Technology Faculty Authorization of the Ministry of Education and Research of March 29th, 2011, Italian Republic.