Timur Kulibayev a candidate to Gazprom Board of Directors

Gazprom Board of Directors has approved a list of candidates to be introduced into the Board. The list of candidates includes First Vice Prime Minister of Russia Viktor Zubkov; Samruk-Kazyna Kazakhstan’s Sovereign Wealth Fund Chairman of the Board Timur Kulibayev; President of the State University of Oil and Gas (Russia) Viktor Martynov; and President of the Russian Academy of Economy and Public Service Vladimir Mau, RIA Novosti reports, citing Gazprom.

The list is to be approved by shareholders June 30.

The initial list of candidates had been drawn up in February. However, Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev instructed to replace state officials in boards of directors of national companies with independent directors. Ministers and Vice Prime Ministers are to exit board of directors before July 1, with high-ranking officials of the President’s Administration exiting before October 1.

May 31 Samruk-Kazyna National Sovereign Wealth Fund Chairman Timur Kulibayev had agreed to be considered as a candidate into the Board of Directors of Russia’s Gazprom.

“The proposal is voiced. It has to be considered by Gazprom. I have given my consent. Thus, I will be looking forward to elections”, Kulibayev said when answering journalists’ questions following the Government’s sitting May 31.

Russia's Gazprom is one of the world’s largest energy companies. Its major business lines are geological exploration, production, transportation, storage, processing and marketing of hydrocarbons as well as generation and marketing of heat and electric power.