VTB Appoints Chief Economist for Middle East & Africa

VTB Capital has appointed Raza Agha as chief economist for Middle East and Africa. He will be based in London and will report to Alexander Pukhaev and Dmitry Dmitriev, global co-heads of research at VTB Capital, and regionally to Makram Abboud, CEO Middle East & Africa for VTB Capital.

PRESS RELEASE

VTB Capital appoints Raza Agha as Chief Economist for Middle East & Africa

VTB Capital announces that Raza Agha has been appointed as the Chief Economist for Middle East & Africa. This is an important appointment to VTB Capital’s Research Department, which will further improve the company’s expertise in these key regions. He will be based in London and report to Alexander Pukhaev and Dmitry Dmitriev, Global Co-Heads of Research at VTB Capital, and regionally to Makram Abboud, CEO Middle East & Africa for VTB Capital plc.

Raza Agha has extensive professional experience in the region and over 10 years in client-relations. Raza joins VTB Capital from the Royal Bank of Scotland in London where he held the post of Senior Economist. Prior to that, he held various positions in the research departments at Saudi American Bank, The World Bank and Central Bank of Pakistan.

Raza Agha graduated from University College in London in 1998 with Bachelor’s degree in Economics and from Cornell University in USA with Master’s degrees in Public Administration and International Development in 2004.

Alexander Pukhaev said: “Raza Agha is one of the most skilled economists for these regions. I’m confident that he will strengthen our global Research team with his experience and knowledge of local markets, further expanding VTB Capital’s expertise into the new areas.”

Makram Abboud noted: “Middle East and Africa are among the most promising markets globally. They are strategically important for VTB Capital’s development and it is essential that our team is being reinforced with such an experienced professionals like Raza Agha.”

VTB Capital, the Investment Business of VTB Group, is one of the three strategic business arms of VTB Group, along with the corporate and retail businesses. Since its foundation in 2008, VTB Capital has taken part in more than 288 ECM and DCM deals, which were instrumental in attracting more than USD 117.65bn worth of investments to Russia and CIS.

VTB Capital offers a full range of investment banking products and services to Russian and international clients, focusing on arranging operations in the debt, equity, global commodities markets, developing investment and asset
management, advising clients on M&A and ECM deals in Russia and abroad. VTB Capital operates in Moscow, London, Singapore, Dubai, Hong Kong, Sofia, New York, Paris and Vienna, with headquarters in Moscow.

VTB Capital holds top positions in the debt and equity capital markets in Russia and CIS according to the league tables for 2011 by Dealogic and Bloomberg. In 2011 and 2012 VTB Capital research team was ranked #1 in Thomson Reuters Extel Survey and Institutional Investor All-Russia Investor Survey.

This press-release does not constitute an offer to the public or an advertisement of securities in the Russian Federation, is not an offer or an invitation to make offers, to purchase securities in the Russian Federation and must not be passed on to third parties or otherwise made publicly available in the Russian Federation.