RBS hires former Kremlin adviser for Russia role

Royal Bank of Scotland's global banking and markets division, looking to forge ties internationally, has made its fourth senior appointment this month after hiring an ex-economic policy adviser to the Russian government.

Igor Yurgens, most recently first vice-president at Renaissance Capital Group, has joined RBS as senior adviser to Russia and the commonwealth of independent states.

Yurgens was formerly an economic policy adviser to the Russian government and also chaired the financial markets committee of the Russian Federation Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

At Renaissance, Yurgens was head of government affairs and managed relations with the Kremlin and various state institutions.

He was also chairman of a Moscow-based infrastructure advisory and fund management joint venture that Renaissance set up with fellow investment bank Macquarie.

Marco Mazzucchelli, deputy chief executive of global banking and markets at RBS, said Yurgens' hire would help the bank make inroads into the Russian and CIS markets.

Yurgens is the fourth international adviser to join RBS this month. Two weeks ago the bank appointed three other senior advisers: Wilhelm Bender, based in Frankfurt, Hamed Kazim in Dubai and and Alberto Ibañez in Madrid .

Bender was formerly chief executive of Fraport, the owner and operator of Frankfurt airport; Kazim previously served on the boards of Dubai Bank and Lehman Brothers Middle East; and Ibañez joined from Citigroup, where he was a senior adviser.

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