Business programme

The transformation of the world order has acquired a new quality. The events of recent months inevitably entail systemic changes in the entire global agenda and directly affect both the world order and geo-economy. Sanctions accelerate the long-standing process where the fundamental foundations of international law are destroyed and the ties that made up global trade, as well as economic, financial, humanitarian, and cultural relations are severed. The new reality forces us to look for answers simultaneously across the entire range of issues on the socio-economic agenda. The feasibility of the declared plans for decarbonization is in question. Ideology and values, the principles of the media and information environment, humanitarian and cultural interaction are all being reconsidered. Can we already assess the nature and the depth of changes unprecedented in scale and speed and their significance for Russia? What issues should be front and centre of the state's economic and foreign policy under the new conditions? What are the priorities for big business, financial sector, and culture in the era of the "game with no rules"?

Moderator
Elina Tihonova, Anchor, RBC

Panellists
Valery Gergiev, Artistic, General Director, State Academic Mariinsky Theatre
Grigory Karasin, Chairman of the Committee of the Council of the Federation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on Foreign Affairs
Vladimir Kirienko, Chief Executive Officer, VK
Andrey Kostin, President and Chairman of the Management Board, VTB Bank
Yaroslav Kuzminov, Academic Supervisor, National Research University Higher School of Economics; Coordinator of the Russian Federal Government Expert Council
Maxim Oreshkin, Aide to the President of the Russian Federation
Valery Sidorenko, First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Government of the Russian Federation

Valery Gergiev

Artistic, General Director, State Academic Mariinsky Theatre

Valery Gergiev is Artistic and General Director of the Mariinsky Theatre, Chairman of the Organisational Committee of the International Tchaikovsky Competition and Honorary President of the Edinburgh International Festival. In 1997 following Sir Georg Solti’s death, Valery Gergiev took over the World Orchestra for Peace. He established and directs festivals including the Stars of the White Nights, the Gergiev Festival (the Netherlands) and the Moscow Easter Festival. At the Mariinsky Theatre Gergiev has overseen the emergence of a plethora of world-class singers.
Under his direction the theatre’s opera and ballet repertoires have become much richer and more diverse, now including a broad range of works from 18th to 20th century classics as well as music by contemporary composers. In 2006 Valery Gergiev’s efforts were rewarded with the construction of the Mariinsky Concert Hall, which has significantly expanded the repertoire possibilities available to the orchestra, while the opening of a 2000-seat Mariinsky-2 on 2 May 2013 turned the theatre into a unique theatrical complex, with capacities unseen around the globe. Established by Gergiev in 2009, the Mariinsky recording label has already released twenty discs that have won praise and acclaim from critics and audiences alike across the globe. The maestro works with the Metropolitan Opera, the Vienna, New York and Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestras and the Filarmonica della Scala. Gergiev’s numerous awards and prizes include prestigious government decorations from Russia, Germany, Italy, France, Japan, the Netherlands and Poland.

Andrey Kostin

President and Chairman of the Management Board, VTB Bank

Andrey Kostin was born in Moscow in 1956. He educated Moscow State University in 1979 (major - teaching political economy), PhD in Economics.
He was at diplomatic service at the USSR Consulate General in Australia (1979-1982) and Embassy to the UK (1985-1990). In 1993 – 1995 he was Deputy Head of Foreign Investment Department of Imperial Bank. In 1995 he was elected First Deputy Chairman of National Reserve Bank. In 1996 he was appointed Chairman by presidential executive order of Vnesheconombank, in 1999 his term in office was extended for another three years. Since 2002 - President and Chairman of the Management Board, Member of the Supervisory Council of VTB Bank.
He has Order of the Russian Orthodox Church of St. Seraphim, 2nd class, Orders For Merit to the Fatherland (2nd, 3rd and 4th classes), Order of Honour, Order of Merit (France), Presidential Letter of Appreciation and Presidential Certificate of Honour, Certificates of Appreciation from the Government of the Russian Federation, Presidential Certificate of Honour, Letter of Gratitude of the Russian Government, Russian Government Certificates of Honour.

Yaroslav Kuzminov

Academic Supervisor, National Research University Higher School of Economics; Coordinator of the Russian Federal Government Expert Council

Maxim Oreshkin

Aide to the President of the Russian Federation

Born on July 21,1982 in Moscow.
2002
Bachelor’s Degree in Economics, Higher School of Economics.
2004
Master’s Degree in Economics, Higher School of Economics.
2002–2006
Economist, 1st class; Leading Economist; Chief Economist; Sector Head at the Balance of Payments Department at the Central Bank of the Russian Federation (Bank of Russia).
2006–2010
Senior Manager; Director; Managing Director at Rosbank.
2010–2012
Head of the Analytical Unit at Crédit Agricole Corporate & Investment Bank Russia and the CIS.
2012–2013
Chief Economist for Russia at VTB Capital.
2013–2015
Director of the Long-term Strategic Planning Department at the Russian Ministry of Finance.
2013
included in the management personnel pool under the patronage of the President of the Russian Federation.
2015–2016
Deputy Minister of Finance of the Russian Federation.
2016–2020
Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation.
2017
Since March 14 – Presidential Special Representative for Trade and Economic Cooperation with Japan.
2018
Chairman of the Board, at the Centre for Strategic Research.
2020
Since January 24 – Aide to the President of the Russian Federation.
Married, with one child.