Expert Details
Corporate Affairs, Regulation and Government Relations, External and Internal Communications
ID: 736191
United Kingdom
Expert has a proven international track record of achieving regulatory solutions with considerable business value in excise and corporate tax, tariff management, advertising, product and packaging standards, corporate communications and reputation building. He also has a multilingual and multicultural background. Currently advising FMCG clients, hedge funds, and the international investment community.
Key strengths:
• Ability to devise and successfully implement strategies to shape regulation for major multinationals (in Central, Southern, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Middle East and also the United Kingdom and the USA)
• Proven track record of executing favourable legislative solutions - in product standards, advertising, promotion, tax, excise, VAT, free trade - that added millions of USD/GBP to the bottom line of the tobacco and other industries, particularly in Europe and the Middle East
• Engagement at the highest political level, including with Presidents and Prime Ministers (of Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, Bulgaria, Serbia, UK, USA)
• Strong business and consumer acumen, ability to significantly input into corporate strategies at global Board and other senior levels
• Motivational leadership of teams of Corporate Affairs professionals across national boundaries and cultures, coaching staff to highest professional standards
Education
| Year | Degree | Subject | Institution |
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Work History
| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years: 2017 to Present | Employer: Undisclosed | Title: Managing Director | Department: |
Responsibilities:Consultancy on regulatory, government relations and reputation management issues for corporate clients, including British American Tobacco as well as other FMCGs, banks and hedge funds. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2017 to 2017 | Employer: British American Tobacco | Title: General Director and Director of Corporate Affairs of BAT Russia | Department: |
Responsibilities:(Russia is the third largest tobacco market in the world, BAT having over 20 per cent market share, two factories and 3 thousand employees)• Overall responsibility for Corporate Affairs strategy for BAT, having been repeatedly voted by the authoritative Kommersant newspaper in the top 5 best Corporate Affairs Directors for the FMCG sector • Leading the department of 25 professionals • Developed and helped implement a number of laws and executive acts in the area of excise, product regulation and communication that contributed to the Company's growth in market share (+2%) and profitability • Devised a set of regulations to harmonise product standards in the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan which achieved optimization of costs and manufacturing footprint in the area • Elaborated and implemented legislative solutions to combat illicit trade in cigarettes in Eastern Europe with a particular focus on increasing enforcement and penalties for contraband and counterfeit, keeping the level of illicit flow to Russia to the minimum of 1-2% • Set up a group of internal and external communicators and media managers that became best in class in the whole BAT Group • Personally, acting as spokesman, increased visibility of the Company in public domain, achieving for BAT the biggest share of voice in the media amongst all tobacco companies • Cultivated an impressive engagement "toolbox" of contacts at the highest political level, including the Presidential administration, Prime Minister's office, various key Ministers and MPs |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2005 to 2007 | Employer: British American Tobacco | Title: Regional Corporate Affairs Director for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) | Department: |
Responsibilities:• Overall responsibility for corporate affairs strategy in 19 markets of the Middle East and North Africa• Head of a team of 23 Corporate Affairs professionals • Led tobacco industry efforts in developing and putting in place a favourable customs and excise regime in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states that considerably increased profitability of tobacco companies in the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain • Developed and implemented strategies for combatting illicit trade in off-shore havens (Jebel Ali port) • Had numerous high level meetings with regulators and politicians in the UAE, Lebanon, Algeria, Iran, Jordan and other states on the most contentious business related issues |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2000 to 2005 | Employer: British American Tobacco | Title: Regional Corporate Affairs Director for Central Asia, Russia, Middle East and Subcontinent (CARMESCO) | Department: |
Responsibilities:• Overall responsibility for Corporate Affairs strategy in the diverse region of 55 markets• Leading (directly or indirectly) a team of of 45 people |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1994 to 2000 | Employer: British American Tobacco | Title: Various senior positions | Department: Business Development and Corporate Affairs |
Responsibilities: |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1990 to 1994 | Employer: Pravda Newspaper | Title: UK Correspondent | Department: |
Responsibilities:• Achieved extensive coverage of political and economic events in the UK, including interviews with PMs, MPs and publications in newspapers such as the Guardian |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1987 to 1990 | Employer: Pravda Newspaper | Title: Senior International Editor | Department: |
Responsibilities: |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1980 to 1987 | Employer: TASS New Agency | Title: USA Correspondent | Department: |
Responsibilities:• Widely covered US political, economic and social life, a member of the press corps of the White House, State Department and Capitol Hill, with numerous interviews with top officials, Senators and Congressmen |
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Additional Experience
| Training / Seminars |
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| Business strategy and planning training at Cranfield Business School, UK |