Russian President Vladimir Putin has recently signed a decree on state awards. SKB-Bank’s Chairman Mikhail Khodorovskiy was made Honored Economist of the Russian Federation for his economic and financial achievements.

Mr. Khodorovskiy was one of the first people to start banking activity in the Urals. In September 1994, he set up a chair of banking business in Ural State Polytechnic University and has been running it ever since. Mr. Khodorovskiy has been working in SKB-Bank since June 1996; he’s moved on from the Planning and Analysis Director to Operational Management Director to Deputy Chairman. He was elected Chairman of the Supervisory Board in December 2000 and Chairman of the Board of Directors in April 2006.

With Mr. Khodorovskiy as the top executive, SKB-Bank was able to become one of Russia’s largest provincial banks. It takes part in the top priority National Education Project and the Affordable Housing Project as well as in some others.