Stuart Lawson joins Ernst & Young CIS

MOSCOW, 26 April 2011 – Effective April 18 Stuart Lawson has been appointed an executive director and senior advisor to Ernst and Young, Russia and CIS. He will be working with the team to enhance the firm’s presence in the market, specifically within financial institutions and will assist in relationship and product development. Additionally he will participate in the firm’s contributions to various government initiatives including Skolkovo and the International financial Center.

From March 2008 to June 2010, Lawson was CEO HSBC Russia during which time it launched its retail and private bank. He has been closely involved in the evolution of Russian banking, beginning in 1995 when he joined Citibank Russia as the bank’s President. In 2000 he became the First Senior Advisor and subsequently Chairman of DeltaBank (later bought by GE Money). After working briefly as a Director of Trust Bank in 2003, Lawson became the first foreigner to be executive chairman of a Russian owned bank, Bank Soyuz (part of Basic Element), in 2004.

“We are pleased to announce the appointment of Stuart Lawson as an executive director and senior advisor to Ernst and Young. He is known in the market for his good knowledge of financial institutions and understanding of local specifics. Stuart has good relationships both with Russian and foreign banks operating in this country”. – said Karl Johansson, Ernst & Young Managing Partner for CIS.

In 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 Lawson was named as “Russia’s Best Banker”, an annual award recognizing outstanding contributions to the Russian banking sector, awarded by a committee composed of representatives from the Central Bank, the Russian Ministry of Finance and of the Russian Bankers’ Associations. In addition Lawson will continue to act as a visiting lecturer at Skolkovo, Moscow School of Management where he wrote and taught the risk module at its MBA class last year.

“I am delighted to be able to contribute to a firm that has shown outstanding commitment and performance in the Russian and CIS markets. I look forward to working with the team to assist in developing the franchise and to providing quality solutions for our clients; - said Stuart Lawson. - After 15 years in the Russian market, participating in both foreign and Russian banks, I hope to be able to use my experience to provide insight, execution capability and advice to our clients across a number of business segments.”

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