Quarterly Briefings

Dr. Thane Gustafson is a Professor of Government at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. He is a widely-recognized authority on the energy sector and on Eurasia. He spoke about the energy transition and climate management challenges facing Russia. He also introduced and summarized his latest book Klimat: Russia in the Age of Climate Change

Andrei Kolesnikov is a Senior Fellow and Chair of the Russian Domestic Politics and Political Institutions Program at the Carnegie Moscow Center. His research focuses on the major trends shaping Russian domestic politics and the connection with economic policy. He spoke about Securitocracy vs Modernization in Russia and addressed the question of “what are the main characteristics of the political regime and what are the main politically driven risks for businesses in Russia as the regime evolves?

In July 2021, E. Wayne Merry, Senior Fellow for Europe and Eurasia at the American Foreign Policy Council in Washington, discussed how the Biden Administration’s Russian policy is triangulated with its German policy and what this may mean in terms of future actions.
Christopher Weafer, Macro-Advisory CEO, commented on the current trend in the Russian economy and set out our
expectations for 2021-23.
 
Speakers pictured left to right

We are very pleased to have Dr. Vladimir Gimpelson as our guest speaker. He is Director of the Centre for Labor Market Studies at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow. He is an expert on demographics and labor market trends in Russia. He presented an update on these trends and his expectations over the medium to longer-term. In particular, he discussed implications for the economy and the challenges and opportunities for companies.

In November 2020, we held a special panel discussion on the Implications of the U.S. Elections on Relations With and Investment In Russia with
E. Wayne Merry is Senior Fellow for Europe and Eurasia at the American Foreign Policy Council in Washington, DC. ​
Susan Eisenhower is President and Chairman of The Eisenhower Group, Inc. (EGI), a Washington D.C. based strategic consulting firm.
Ambassador James F. Collins is a renowned expert on the former Soviet Union, its successor states, and Russia.
Christopher Weafer is Chief Executive of Macro-Advisory Limited.
 
Panel pictured left to right

In May 2021, Matthew Rojansky is Director of the Kennan Institute at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, DC. An expert on US relations with the states of the former Soviet Union, especially Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus, he has advised governments, intergovernmental organizations, and major private actors on conflict resolution and efforts to enhance shared security throughout the Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian region. He spoke about if the COVID Crisis will lead to a Global Revolution?

In December 2019, Macro-Advisory welcomed Dr Anatoly Aksakov, Chairman of the Financial Services Committee of the State Duma of the Russian Federation as its speaker. Dr Aksakov spoke about proposed reforms in the financial system and the potential obstacles involved.

In September 2019, Dr Mark Galeotti spoke about his new book on the Russian criminal underworld. Dr Galeotti is an Honorary Professor at the UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies and a Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, as well as a Senior Non-Resident Fellow at the Institute of International Relations Prague and previously head of its Centre for European Security.

Andrey Klepach was the guest speaker in April 2019. Dr Klepach is Chief Economist at Vnesheconombank and previously served as Director of the Macroeconomic Forecasting Department of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of the Russian Federation. Dr Klepach spoke about trends and the growth of the Russian economy in the near future.

In December 2018, Macro-Advisory welcomed E. Wayne Merry, Senior Fellow for Europe and Eurasia at the American Foreign Policy Council in Washington, DC. Mr Merry spoke about the current and likely future states of US-Russian relations.

In September 2018, Sergey Belyakov was the guest speaker. Mr Belyakov is Chairman of the Management Board of the National Association of Investment and Development Agencies, President of the Association of Non-State Pension Funds and Chairman of the Presidium of The Retail Companies Association. He spoke about recent trends in Russian politics and economics.

Andrei Kolesnikov spoke at the spring 2018 briefing. Mr Kolesnikov is Senior Fellow and Chair of Russian Domestic Politics at the Carnegie Moscow Center. He spoke about Russian elections and the various constituencies of voters involved.

In December 2017, Macro-Advisory hosted Baroness Catherine Ashton as its speaker. Lady Ashton is the Chancellor of the University of Warwick and former High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. She spoke about the current foreign policy dialogue within the EU, relations with Russia, and relations between the EU and the US.

In fall 2017, Dmitry Pankin, Chairman of the Management Board of the Eurasian Development Bank, spoke about developments in the Eurasian Economic Union; sanctions; and the One Belt, One Road project.

Dr. Thane Gustafson is a Professor of Government at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. He is a widely-recognized authority on the energy sector and on Eurasia. He spoke about the development of the energy sector in Russia and introduced his latest book, Wheel of Fortune: The Battle for Oil and Power in Russia, which is now regarded as the definitive book tracing the history and evolution of the Russian oil and gas sector.

In February 2017, Macro-Advisory welcomed Mikhail Zygar, author of All the Kremlin’s Men, as its speaker. Zygar discussed his book, in which he made a comparison between Russia in 1917 and that of 100 years later. He discussed intra-Kremlin dymanics, as well as Russian attitudes towards its leadership in different circles.

In September 2016, Alena Ledeneva from the School of Slavonic and East European Studies at University College, London, was the speaker. In her speech, she described Described the “Sistema” network of governance in Russia, how it works, and the various advantages and disadvantages of it. She also described the potential implications of Sistema for investors.

Oleg Vyugin is a former deputy Finance Minister and deputy Chair of the Russian Central Bank. He is the founding Chairman of the Federal Markets Service in Russia and served as Chairman of MDM Bank and of the Moscow Stick Exchange.