GORKI, December 27 (Itar-Tass) —— President Dmitry Medvedev has appointed Vladislav Surkov as a deputy prime minister. Prior to the promotion, Surkov was the first deputy head of the presidential administration.
Medvedev told Surkov on Tuesday that he would be in charge of economic modernization.
“Several years ago when the Modernization Commission was established you became its deputy head and did a colossal work,” Medvedev said. Time has come to handle the same matter at the government.
The work of the Commission for Russian Economic Modernization and Technological Development “will now have a clearer definition and content,” Medvedev said. He hopes that the labor of the recent years “will not be wasted but developed further in Surkov’s work at the government.”
Surkov was the appointment was an honor and a very interesting work was ahead. He expressed his gratitude to Medvedev.
Surkov was born in the Soltsevo village in the Lipetsk region on September 21, 1964.
He graduated from the Moscow International University in 1993 with a master of economics degree.
In the 1980s-1990s he was a businessman.
In 1991-1996 he held high-ranking positions at the MENATEP Group, the MENATEP Bank.
In 1992 he was the President, Vice-President of the Russian Association of Advertisers.
In 1996-1997 – he was a deputy head, head of the department for public relations of Rosprom (later on Rosprom-YUKOS), first deputy chairman of the Alfa Bank board.
In 1998-1999 he was the first deputy general director, director for public relations of the Public Russian Television.
In 1999-2004 he was an assistant, deputy head of the presidential administration.
In 2004-2008 he was a deputy head of the presidential administration – presidential assistant.
On May 12, 2008, Surkov was appointed as the first deputy head of the presidential administration.
Since January 2010 he was the head of the working group drafting the Skolkovo project.
He is a holder the Merit Order of the 3rd degree, and the Stolypin Medal of the 2nd degree.