Paul Rollinson, President & CEO, recently attended Russia’s flagship economic forum in St. Petersburg where he participated in foreign investor meetings with Russia President Vladimir Putin and First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov, along with the CEOs of some of the world’s largest companies.
More than 40 global CEOs attended the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, which was also attended by leading multinational companies such as BP, Royal Dutch Shell, Total, Ernst & Young, Carlsberg and Boston Consulting Group.
As part of the Forum, Paul participated in the Foreign Investment Advisory Council (FIAC) meeting, which was chaired by First Deputy Prime Minister Shuvalov. Kinross is the only Canadian representative on FIAC, an exclusive group of leading international companies, including Coca-Cola, Nestle, Exxon Mobil, Ford, and PepsiCo, brought together to advise the Russian leadership on enhancing foreign investment conditions in the country.
He was also a panelist in the Russia-North America Business Roundtable and attended the Forum’s plenary meeting with President Putin. During his roundtable remarks, Paul underscored the importance of maintaining commercial relations between countries during times of strained political relations. He pointed to educational exchanges, training programs, and the promotion of trade and investment as initiatives that can contribute to ongoing commercial and business ties. “Business can be a vehicle for showcasing the values, management skills and technological know-how that rank among the most essential benefits transferred through international relations,” he said.
On the sidelines of the Forum, Paul met with Russia’s Minister for Natural Resources and Environment, Sergey Donskoy and Vladimir Pecheniy, Governor of the Magadan Region, where our regional office is located. He also had a number of business development meetings.
The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum was founded in 1997 and has been held under the auspices of the President of the Russian Federation since 2006. Over the past decade, the Forum has developed into a leading global business network, attracting more than 7,000 international participants including government and business leaders.
James Crossland, Executive Vice-President, Corporate Affairs, Lou Naumovski, Vice-President and General Director, Moscow Representative Office and Stanislav Borodyuk, Director, Government Relations and Public Affairs, also attended the forum.
Paul Rollinson (third from right) at the Russia – North America Business Roundtable
Paul Rollinson (fifth from right) at the FIAC meeting (next to First Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Igor Shuvalov)
