Executive Management

Vladimir Yakunin was born in Melenki in Vladimir region on 30 June 1948 and graduated from the Leningrad Institute of Mechanics in 1972. He began his career as a junior researcher at the State Institute of Applied Chemistry. After completing his military service in the Soviet army, he worked as an engineer and senior engineer at the Directorate of the State Committee of the Council of Ministers for Foreign Economic Relations and as Head of Department at the Ioffe Physical Technical Institute at the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. He is married and has two sons.

Vladimir Yakunin’s Biography

1985-1991 - Member of the Diplomatic Service (Second and then First Secretary at the USSR’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations).

Chairman of the Board of Directors of the CJSC International Centre of Business Cooperation and Head of the North-Western Federal District Inspectorate of the Main Control Directorate of the President of the Russian Federation.

From October 2000 - Deputy Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation.

From February 2002 - First Deputy Minister of Communications.

From October 2003 - First Vice-President of OJSC Russian Railways.

14 June 2005 - appointed President of OJSC Russian Railways.

Vladimir Yakunin is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Centre of the National Glory of Russia and the Foundation of St. Andrew the First-Called.

Founding President of the World Public Forum Dialogue of Civilisations.

Co-President of the Association for Franco-Russian Dialogue.

Scientific Director and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Governance and Problem Analysis Centre at the Social Sciences Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences (http://eng.rusrand.ru/)

Head of the Department of Government Policy at the Faculty of Political Science at Moscow State University.

Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Child Welfare Foundation Spread Your Wings.

Member of the Board of Trustees of Russian World.

Member of the Board of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs.

Chairman of the Commission on Transport and Transport Infrastructure.

Doctor of Political Science. Visiting Professor at the Stockholm School of Economics.

Honorary Doctor of the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

President of the International Union of Railways (UIC).

Chairman of the Board, GEFCO.

Awards Received by Vladimir Yakunin

Order of Honour "For Services to the Fatherland" IV Degree and the medals "For Military Services" and "For the Development of the Railways."

Russian Orthodox Church Orders of St. Equal-to-the-Apostle Prince Vladimir II, St. Seraphim of Sarov and St. Andrei Ruble and the Order of the Council of Muftis of Russia Al-Fahr I.

Order of the Holy Sepulchre of the Jerusalem Orthodox Church for his contribution to the dialogue between civilisations and peoples and the organisation of the Pan-Orthodox devotional prayer "Pray for Peace in Jerusalem".

France’s highest distinction, the Legion of Honour, the Great Medal with Gold Star for his services to the Republic of Austria, the Order of Dostyk (Friendship), Kazakhstan’s highest award, and Italy’s Order of Merit, Grand Officer Class.

The Russian Railways’ Badge of Honorary Railwayman.

International Prize in Faith and Loyalty of St. Andrew the First Called in 2000 for his contribution to consolidating Russian statehood and his active participation in implementing the project to establish the Centre of the National Glory of Russia.

Gold Medal of the association La Renaissance Francaise for his contribution to the development and consolidation of relations between France and Russia.

Spain’s Order for Civil Services in the Grand Cross Class

Award For Public Work Towards the Common Good of the British organisation Globalisation for the Common Good Initiative.

Laureate of a Russian Government prize in science and technology.