Yuri Shafranik - biography
Yuri Shafranik is a renowned energy expert and he is co-chairman and a modern participant of the Dartmouth Conference, and a well known successful entrepreneur.
Yuri Shafranik is a renowned energy expert and he is co-chairman and a modern participant of the 60 year old East-West alliance, the Dartmouth Conference, as well as being known for his successful entrepreneurial activities.
Mr Shafranik grew up in the small Siberian settlement town of Karasul, in the Tyumen Oblast region. Following his graduation from high school, he studied electrical and mining engineering in Tyumen city. With two degrees from the Tyumen Industrial Institute, this was but the start of his academic achievements. Yuri Shafranik became a Doctor of Economics in 2006 after publishing his research thesis about rationalisation in the development of hydrocarbon resources.
His first employment in the engineering industry was with one of the biggest oil manufacturers in Russia - the Langepasneftegas company in Tyumen city, where he was a mechanic. From this humble start, he rose to become its Chief Executive Officer in 1987.
As a much honoured citizen of Tyumen, Mr Shafranik was elected Chairman of its Regional Council of People’s Deputies in 1990, so becoming the youngest head of this responsible community authority at that time. Just a year later, through his business and professional acumen, as well his great charismatic character, Mr Shafranik was appointed Governor of Tyumen Oblast. In the years 1993 to 1996, he served as Russia’s Minister of Energy. At the same time, he became one of the senior representatives on the Gore-Chernomyrdin Commission between the US and the Federation, well-known for its economic and technological cooperation between the superpowers. The abilities he displayed in this role contributed hugely to the success of the initiative which embraced such diverse areas on issues of space exploration, energy, trade and business development, defence conversion, science and technology, health, agriculture, and environment.
Yuri Shafranik has achieved impressive success in his business activities. He founded the Central Fuel Company in 1997. In a very short time it became Russia’s leading regional petroleum products wholesaler. Then, just three years later, Mr Shafranik set up SoyuzNefteGas, a group of companies specialising in oil and gas exploration both at home and globally. The company’s projects account for over $10 bn turnover and a realised net return of $6 bn. The whole of the group’s projects are privately funded and strictly ‘for profit’ undertakings.
In 2003, Yuri Shafranik became a director of First Calgary Petroleums, a Canadian oil and natural gas exploration and development firm, thereby broadening his knowledge and experience of global energy issues.
Over and above his business interests, Mr Shafranik remains active with a handful of non-commercial trade organisations, primarily the Supreme Mining Council, the Union of Oil and Gas Producers of Russia, and the Institute of Energy Strategy - all operating on the highest principles of public diplomacy and good communications practice.
Yuri Shafranik is the much respected co-chair of the Russian delegation to the Dartmouth Conference, which has been seen as one of the most important alliance platforms for maintaining relations between Russia and the US, through discussion and debate.
A family man, Yuri Shafranik is married with two grown-up children.