Programme

Predictions about the advent of a new era in US policy and sweeping changes to past approaches accompanied the arrival of the new US President. In fact, the Trump administration is perpetuating many existing policies – albeit with one major exception: it is taking a fundamentally different approach to free trade by rejecting multilateral treaties and essentially declaring a return to bilateral economic relations and the principles of mercantilism. When the world’s largest economy shifts its priorities, it inevitably affects everyone else. How will world trade be structured with Washington pursuing a policy of ‘America First’? How will this impact international institutions, and how will the ideas of protectionism change the nature of economic and financial flows? And how should other economies react – advocate the adoption of universal rules of the game, or focus on saving themselves?

Moderator:
John Defterios , Emerging Markets Editor, CNN

John Defterios

Emerging Markets Editor, CNN

John Defterios is the CNNMoney Emerging Markets Editor. Based in the network's Abu Dhabi bureau since 2011 his reporting focuses on the top business stories from emerging economies. In addition to his daily reporting for CNN's main business programming, John hosts 'CNN Marketplace Middle East', a business programme featuring in-depth analysis and top newsmakers from across the Middle East. John also hosts "One Square Meter" the first television and digital platform to explore world class property developments in emerging markets. Defterios has more than two decades of financial news and current affairs experience covering some of the landmarks events during that period including the Gulf War, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the World Trade Centre bombings and G8/G20 summits from his postings in London, Washington, New York, Los Angeles, Rome and the Middle East. He is a World Economic Forum media leader and member of the Global Agenda Council on the Arab World and has served as Chairman of the Business Week Leadership Forums in London, Beijing and New York, the World Islamic Economic Forum amongst others. Defterios started at CNN in New York as correspondent on 'Moneyline with Lou Dobbs', anchored CNN's 'World Business Today' and the top rated U.S. morning business program 'Ahead of the Curve'. Defterios has secured numerous interviews with high-level figures in the worlds of politics and economics including: HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rachid, PM of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, King Abdullah II of Jordan, Ali Al Naimi, Petroleum Minister of Saudi Arabia, HH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Al Saud, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto and British Prime Minister David Cameron as well many of the top executives in the Fortune 500 including BP CEO Robert Dudley and Africa's richest man Aliko Dangote. He has travelled on assignment throughout Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. Prior to CNN, Defterios worked for Reuters Television as European Correspondent, West Coast Correspondent and special series producer in a joint-venture with The Nightly Business Report on PBS-TV.

Panellists:
Andrei Bystritsky , Chairman of the Board, Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club
George Mark Malloch Brown , Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations (2006)
Daniel Russell , President, Chief Executive Officer, US–Russia Business Council (USRBC)
Xu Sitao , Chief Economist, Partner, Deloitte, China
Igor Shuvalov , First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation
Ksenia Yudaeva , First Deputy Governor, Central Bank of the Russian Federation

Andrei Bystritsky

Chairman of the Board, Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club

In 1985-1991, Andrey Bystritskiy was engaged in research as a Senior Fellow at the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences. He has been in the media industry since 1991, starting as the Head of the Audience Research Department of the All-Russia State Television and Radio Company (RTR), author and host of radio and television broadcasts. In 1993-1996, Andrey Bystritskiy headed sociological research at the Company. From 1996 to 1997, he was in charge of the "Society" Department at the Itogi (Russian Newsweek) magazine. In 1997-1998, Andrey Bystritskiy was Deputy Director General for Information at TV Tsentr. Between 1998 and 1999, he was the Producer of the Russian news service on BBC. In 1999, he joined the Organizing Committee of the Unofficial Moscow Festival as one of its Co-Chairs, he was also a member of the Editorial Board of the Moscow Alternative newspaper and Chairman of the Mayak State Radio Broadcasting Company (main information radio in Russia). In 2000, Bystritskiy became the Director General of the Vesti State Television Company (an entity of RTR). From 2000 to 2008, he was Deputy Director General of RTR and the Director of the Department of Information Programmes of the Russia TV. In 2000-2013 Bystritskiy was a member of the Board of Directors and Vice President of international broadcasting company Euronews. Between 2005 and 2007, he was the Editor-in-Chief of the Apologia monthly magazine. From 2008 to 2014, he was the Chairman of the Voice of Russia State Radio Company (Russian international broadcaster in 44 languages). Andrey Bystritskiy has been at the National Research University – Higher School of Economics since 2001, as a Dean of the Faculty of Communications, Media and Design since 2014. Since 2008, he has been the head of the Council of the Heads of Government and Public Television and Radio Organizations of CIS Countries. Since 2014, Bystritskiy has been the Chairman of the Board of the Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club and the Chairman of the Public Supervisory Council of the Russian Ministry of Communications. Andrey Bystritskiy is a Professor and PhD (Pedagogics, 1989). He is a member of the Union of Writers. In June 2007, he received the Order of Honour. Andrey Bystritskiy is the author of books, including such works as Youth Subcultures and Russia's Intelligentsia During the Demise of the Soviet System (1991), and numerous publications in newspapers and magazines.

George Mark Malloch Brown

Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations (2006)

Mark Malloch-Brown is Chairman of the International Crisis Group and Senior Advisor to Eurasia Group. He served as Deputy Secretary-General and Chief of Staff of the UN under Kofi Annan. For six years before that he was Administrator of the UNDP, leading the UN’s development efforts around the world. He was later Minister of State in the Foreign Office, covering Africa and Asia, and was a member of Gordon Brown’s cabinet. Other positions have included vice-chairman of George Soros’s Investment Funds, as well as his Open Society Institute, a Vice-President at the World Bank and the lead international partner in a political consulting firm. He also has served as Vice-Chairman of the World Economic Forum. He began his career as a journalist at The Economist. He is currently Chairman of SGO and its elections division Smartmatic, a leading elections technology company as well as on a number of other Boards.

Daniel Russell

President, Chief Executive Officer, US–Russia Business Council (USRBC)

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.

Xu Sitao

Chief Economist, Partner, Deloitte, China

Sitao is Chief Economist of China, Partner at Deloitte. Formerly, he was at The Economist Group from 2004 to 2014 and held various positions. Before joining The Economist Group, Xu Sitao worked for ICBC (Asia), the overseas flagship of China’s largest bank, as the Head of Economics in 2003. Prior to this, he was Societe Generale’s Chief Economist for Asia (ex-Japan) from 2001 to 2002. He joined Standard Chartered Bank as Regional Treasury Economist in 1996. Previously, Xu Sitao was the Economist for Indonesia, Korea, and Thailand in Singapore, working for MMS International of Standard and Poor’s Group in 1995. Xu Sitao holds a B.A. in Economics from Peking University, an M.A. in Economics from the University of Connecticut, and a M.S. in Finance from Boston College. He has been a columnist for Caijing and 21st Century, China’s leading business publications and has contributed frequently to leading regional and international publications, such as YaleGlobal Magazine, the Asian Wall Street Journal and Financial Times. He appears regularly on CNBC, Bloomberg, CCTV, and other TV shows as a commentator on Asia and an accomplished public speaker and lecturer. Xu Sitao speaks regularly at board meetings of major corporations and major conferences for institutional investors and policymakers.

Igor Shuvalov

First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation

Born January 4, 1967, in Bilibino, Magadan Region. 1993: graduated from the Law Faculty of Moscow State University with a degree in jurisprudence. 1984–1985: laboratory assistant at the EKOS Scientific Research Institute. 1985–1987: served in the Soviet Army. 1993: attaché of the Law Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. 1993–1995: senior legal adviser at ALM Consulting. 1995: Director, ALM Law Office. 1997: Head of Department of the State Register of Federal Property, State Committee of the Russian Federation for State Property Management. 1998: Deputy Minister for State Property of the Russian Federation. 1998–2000: Chairman, Russian Federal Property Fund. 2000–2003: Chief of the Government Staff in the rank of Minister. 2003: Aide to the President of the Russian Federation. 2003–2004:Deputy Head of Administration of the President of the Russian Federation. 2004: Aide to the President of the Russian Federation. 2005: Russian Sherpa in the G8. 2008: First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation. Married with two sons and two daughters.

Ksenia Yudaeva

First Deputy Governor, Central Bank of the Russian Federation

Ksenia Valentinovna Yudaeva has served as a First Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Russia since September 2013 and was appointed to the Central Bank's Board in October 2013. At the Bank of Russia she is responsible for international relations, macroeconomic forecasting and research and previously oversaw domestic monetary policy. Dr. Yudaeva came to the Bank after spending one year as Chief of the Presidential Experts' Directorate of the RF Presidential Administration, where she was also Russia's Sherpa to the G20 during the Russian presidency. Prior to her government service, Dr. Yudaeva was Chief Economist and Director of the Center for Macroeconomic Research at Sberbank, Russia’s largest bank, from 2008 to 2012. She has held positions at several think-tanks in Russia, including Academic Director of the Center for Strategic Research and Scholar-in-Residence at the Carnegie Moscow Center. Dr. Yudaeva earned a degree in Economics and Mathematics from the Moscow State University, a Master's degree in Economics from the New Economic School and a Ph.D. in Economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.