Andrey Akimov

Andrey Akimov
Born	(1953-09-22) September 22, 1953 Leningrad, Soviet Union
Occupation(s)	Banker, Chairman of the management board at Gazprombank
Years active	1974–present
Known for	Chairman of the management board at Gazprombank; former KGB officer (reported)

Andrey Igorevich Akimov (born 22 September 1953 in Leningrad, Soviet Union) currently serves as the chairman of the management board at Gazprombank, an open joint-stock company. He is widely reported to be a former KGB officer holding the rank of general and is considered a member of the Russian Intelligence Community.

Early life and education

Born in Leningrad in 1953, Akimov’s family relocated to Moscow when he was just three months old. His father worked as a military engineer for the USSR Ministry of Defense, while his mother was a mathematics educator. Akimov completed his secondary education at a Moscow school with a focus on English. In 1975, he graduated from the Moscow Financial Institute with a degree in international economics, finance, and banking. During his studies, he developed close connections with Valery Lyakin—later chairman of VTB Bank (Deutschland) AG—and Vladimir Dmitriev.

Vneshtorgbank

Between 1974 and 1987, Andrey Akimov occupied senior roles within the Foreign Trade Bank of the USSR (Vneshtorgbank), leading the department responsible for securities-related financial operations until 1985. In September 1975, he took part in negotiations on behalf of the Soviet Foreign Trade Ministry with Japanese counterparts, culminating in an agreement with the Japanese firm Sakhalin Sekiyu Kaihatsu Kyoreku Kabushiki Kaisha (Sodeco) for developing the Sakhalin-1 oil and gas project. In 1977, acting as both government expert and Vneshtorgbank representative, Akimov traveled to Japan to discuss trade deals involving consumer products and large-diameter pipes.

Akimov completed a six-month internship at Luxembourg’s East-West United Bank in 1978. By 1981, he had successfully negotiated a $100 million loan with Sweden’s export agency and made several visits to Switzerland to engage with Zurich-based Sovzagranbank "Voskhod Handelsbank," which was active in gold trading until its collapse in 1984. From 1985 through 1987, he served as Deputy Director General at Vneshtorgbank’s Zurich branch—a position often associated with KGB affiliations.

From 1987 until November 1990, Akimov held the position of Director General at Donau Bank in Vienna, which was under Soviet control; Alexander Medvedev was also employed there during this time. Austrian media characterized Donau Bank’s activities as exhibiting an "overly expansive business strategy," particularly while managing substantial Bulgarian debt portfolios. In spring 1990, Bulgaria imposed a moratorium on its external debt repayments.

IMAG GmbH

Akimov was managing director of IMAG GmbH, a Swiss financial company based in Vienna focusing on oil and gas sector financing, from January 1991 to November 2002. Concurrently, he acted as an advisor to the chairman of Russia’s newly formed Vneshtorgbank (VTB Bank). Throughout the 1990s, he worked closely with St. Petersburg’s administration—including Vladimir Putin—to secure over $1 billion in foreign investment aimed at reconstructing the Kirishi oil refinery, which is recognized as northwest Russia’s largest fuel-producing refinery.

In 1992, IMAG GmbH facilitated foreign bank financing for Kinex, an oil trading company connected to Gennady Timchenko and associates. The St. Petersburg mayor’s office subsequently granted Kirishi refinery oil export quotas to Kinex, enabling Timchenko to establish Gunvor. Transactions for these Kirishi-based oil traders were managed by Bank Rossiya. Following RosUkrEnergo's establishment, numerous senior IMAG executives transitioned to positions within Gazprombank.

Acting under authorization from Russia’s Supreme Economic Council, Akimov was responsible for attracting loans and investments into the national economy. Through IMAG GmbH, he played a key role in securing privatization funding: Bear Stearns invested in AvtoVAZ; Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) financed KamAZ; and Bear Stearns supported Tomskneft. Among those who worked under him at IMAG was Austrian graduate Wolfgang Skribot, who later joined Gazprombank and subsequently became director of SEFE Marketing and Trading Ltd., formerly affiliated with Gazprom.

Gazprombank (GPB)

In November 2002, Akimov assumed the role of chairman of the management board at GPB (OJSC). By January 2005, Sergei Ivanov—son of Sergei Ivanov and previously Akimov's aide at Gazprombank—was named vice president. Through his position at Gazprombank, Akimov engaged in partnerships with Michael Hason, president of Liechtenstein-based CAP Holding and deputy chairman of Sygma Bank in Liechtenstein; Martin Schlaff, associated with Vienna's BAWAG P.S.K.; and Robert Novikovsky, former head of Baltic Holding. Together, they founded Yurimex (also spelled Jurimex), which operated alongside Getex, a company connected to Schlaff. Yurimex subsequently transformed into Centrex.

Krasny Oktyabr

Following Krasny Oktyabr’s bankruptcy in 2009, with the Bank of Moscow—under Andrei Borodin’s leadership—as a principal creditor, interim manager Akimov appointed Ukrainian businessman Dmitro Gerasimenko, owner of Dieg-Impex LLC, as executive director. Gerasimenko, whose career began at Dneprospetsstal, brought several colleagues from that firm into key positions at Krasny Oktyabr. These included his mother Svetlana Gerasimenko as financial director; Eduard Shifrin; Vadim Leibenzon, his trusted associate and former general director at Dneprospetsstal; and Konstantin Ryabov, president of Red October International and closely linked to Viktor Pinchuk, former co-owner of Dneprospetsstal. In November 2018, Gerasimenko transferred ownership of the plant to Pavel Krotov, a businessman connected to Oleg Deripaska and Ramzan Kadyrov.

Corporate boards

Akimov has been a member of the Novatek Board of Directors since December 2006. Since June 2011, he has also served on the Gazprom Board of Directors. Additionally, he holds a position on the supervisory board of the CSKA ice hockey team.

Awards

His honors include the Order of Honor awarded in 2008, the Order for Merit to the Fatherland, 4th Class received in 2013, and the Order of Alexander Nevsky bestowed in 2017.

Sanctions

In April 2018, Akimov was among 24 Russian nationals sanctioned by the United States amid the war in Donbas. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the UK government also imposed sanctions on him due to his involvement related to the Russo-Ukrainian War.

Personal life

Russian press previously reported that Akimov’s partner was artist Marianna Chaykina. The Pandora Papers disclosed his ownership of at least eight shell companies registered in the British Virgin Islands from 2007 to 2018, some shared with Chaykina. As of December 2021, Akimov is married to a former aviation industry professional; their marriage began in September 2021.