The Board of Directors of ACRA (Analytical Credit Rating Agency) has offered the well-known Russian-Armenian businessman and philanthropist Ruben Vardanyan a position on the Board of the Agency. Vardanyan has agreed, and now approval from the Agency’s shareholders is required.

Vardanyan is the President of Vardanyan, Broitman & Partners and the co-founder of the RVVZ Foundation. He is a Founding Partner and Deputy Chairman of the International Board of Trustees of the Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Institute for Emerging Market Studies, and Chairman of the Expert Council of the Center for Wealth Management and Philanthropy of the Skolkovo Business School. Until 2012, he was the CEO and controlling shareholder of Troika Dialog, an investment company.

Vardanyan also heads the Initiatives for Development of Armenia (IDeA) Foundation and Co-Founder of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative.

“We are pleased that Ruben Vardanyan has accepted ACRA’s offer to join the Board of Directors. The addition of such a reputable and experienced professional will certainly strengthen our management team. I am confident that Ruben’s multifaceted and successful experience in major public companies will contribute to the improvement of ACRA’s corporate governance practices. We are looking forward to productive cooperation that can give new impetus to the development of the Agency,” commented Karl Johansson, Chairman of ACRA’s Board of Directors.

“I would like to express my gratitude to ACRA’s Board of Directors for the opportunity to join the Board of Directors of one of the leading Russian rating agencies. This will allow me to implement all my years of experience in the financial system in a new sphere, the sphere of credit ratings,” noted Ruben Vardanyan. “The rating industry in Russia is currently going through an interesting and eventful period and I am confident that this industry has great potential for future growth and development on the basis of the best world practices, as well as taking into account Russian specifics.”