Russian President Vladimir Putin formed a new government on May 21, appointing Igor Shuvalov to the post of the first deputy prime minister.
Igor Shuvalov was born January 4, 1967, in the town of Bilibino in Russia’s Far Eastern region of Magadan. Shuvalov has served as first deputy prime minister since May 12, 2008.
Between 1984 and 1985, Shuvalov worked in a laboratory at the Ekos Research Institute, before serving two years in the Soviet Army. After his military service, Shuvalov entered the Law Department of Moscow State University, graduating in 1993.
After graduation, Shuvalov briefly worked as an attache in the Legal Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, before becoming a senior legal advisor to AOZT and ALM Consulting in Moscow between 1993 and 1997.
In 1997, Shuvalov moved into the federal government department dealing with property issues, heading a department in the State Register of Federal Property and then serving as deputy head of the Committee on State Property (Goskomimuschestvo) up to May 1998. He then moved to the Russian Federal Property Fund, serving as acting chairman for six months before being confirmed in the position and serving until May 2000.
In May 2000, Shuvalov was appointed chief of staff in Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov’s cabinet, with the rank of federal minister. Three years later he was appointed an aide to then-President Vladimir Putin.
Between October 2003 and March 2004, Shuvalov was deputy head of the Presidential Administration, before returning to his role as presidential aide. On January 4, 2005, he was appointed Chairman of an interdepartmental commission on Russia’s participation in the G8, becoming Russia’s G8 sherpa (personal representative of the Head of State, who prepares the agenda and agreements for G8 Summits).
On May 12, 2008, Shuvalov was appointed first deputy prime minister in then-Prime Minister Putin’s cabinet. In this post he was responsible for coordinating the work of federal organs in the following areas: international economic activities and foreign trade; economic and trade relations and economic integration with participating CIS states; negotiations on Russia’s accession to the World Trade Organization; road traffic safety; development of small businesses; regional development; and management of state ownership.
Shuvalov also works on state policy on international relations, technical regulation, intellectual property, civil defense, response to emergency situations, real estate, competition, monopolies, tariffs and socio-economic development.
Following the resignation of Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin in late September of 2011, Shuvalov took over responsibility for financial issues within the cabinet.
Shuvalov is married and has a son and two daughters.