Economics
Exiled Putin Critic Said to Be EBRD Pick for Chief Economist
- Guriev first Russian chief economist of London-based lender
- Former government adviser fled to Paris in 2013 fearing arrest
Sergei Guriev
Photographer: Grigoriy Sisoev/ RIA NovostiThis article is for subscribers only.
A former Russian government adviser who’s living in self-imposed exile in Paris is about to be appointed chief economist of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the first time a citizen of Russia will hold this position, two people familiar with the matter said.
Sergei Guriev, who turns 44 next week, is a critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin with ties to former oil magnate Mikhail Khodorkovsky and protest leader Alexey Navalny. Khodorkovsky has been financing vote monitoring and civil society projects in Russia since he was set free in 2013 after a decade in prison that he says was revenge for his opposition to the Kremlin.