The statesman Gref German Oskarovich: biography, achievements, family and interesting facts

Successful entrepreneur and statesman Gref Herman Oskarovich, whose biography is an example of purposefulness and ambition, has come a long way and reached significant heights. His person causes controversial assessments, but one does not cause doubts - he is a professional of the highest level.

Childhood and family

Gref German Oskarovich, whose biography begins February 8, 1964 in a small village Panfilovo Pavlodar region of the Kazakh Union Republic, spent his entire childhood in the city of Irtysh. The Gref family was from the displaced Germans. They were moved to Kazakhstan from Donbass in 1941. Father Herman, Oscar Fyodorovich, worked as an engineer, mother, Emilia Filippovna, was a record-holder, then an economist. When the youngest in the family Herman was 1,5 years old, the head of the family was killed, and the grandmother helped to raise three children to her mother. The boy grew obedient and calm, was very accurate and inquisitive.

Years of study

At school, Herman studied well, but without much brilliance. Teachers remember him well, they say that he was distinguished by purposefulness and perseverance. At the end of school, he did not enter the institute, but immediately began working as a legal counsel of the agricultural department in his city. In 1982, Gref went into the army, after serving two years in the Interior Ministry's internal troops, he does not return to his homeland, but goes to Omsk, where he enters the state university, to the law faculty. During the years of training, Gref has not distinguished himself by anything, he diligently and well studied and received a diploma in the specialty "jurisprudence" in 1990.

Omsk period

At the end of the university Gref German Oskarovich, whose biography is quite typical for a Soviet man, remains to be taught at his native university. The Omsk period of life almost did not leave a trace in Gref's life. Teachers, classmates and colleagues recall him as a diligent and ambitious young man. In the years of his studies he was the group's ccomsor, the leader of the operative student detachment, who maintained order in the dormitories. He was a good student and was able to build relationships. Dean of law faculty Sergei Baburin was very supportive of Gref and later played a role in his life.

At the teaching work in Omsk, Herman did not stay, since already in 1990 he entered postgraduate study. It was a standard way, if a person wanted to work in a university, he had to defend himself, that's exactly how Gref moved.

St. Petersburg period

In 1990, the future banker decides to continue his studies, and then his biography changes completely. German Gref goes on to graduate school in Leningrad University, his advisor on the recommendation of the dean of the Law Faculty of the Omsk University N. Baburin became Anatoly Sobchak, and this was a fateful event for Gref. Sobchak was then the mayor of the Northern Capital and saw in the young graduate student a great managerial potential. Anatoly Alexandrovich was a supporter of change, he wanted to modernize the political system of the city and country, and he urgently needed progressive supporters, and Gref was in the right place. Herman was first appointed legal counsel to the Economic Development and Property Committee, but a year later he became the head of this committee. In 1994, Gref became head of the Department of Real Estate, and in 1997 he was already vice-governor, chairman of the Property Management Committee of the city of St. Petersburg.

Such an impressive career Herman Oskarovich makes thanks to good relations with Sobchak, but in addition, during this period, he leads a lot of useful and very promising acquaintances: Vladimir Putin, Alexei Kudrin, Dmitry Medvedev, Dmitry Kozak - they all work together in the administration of St. Petersburg . And when Sobchak was no more, Gref was already firmly on his feet, although he could not defend the thesis at that time.

During this period, Herman Oskarovich became a member of the boards of directors of many major companies of the city: Lenenergo, the Sea Port of St. Petersburg, and Channel 5 on TV.

Gref's work in property management evoked a stream of criticism from the opposition forces, he was accused of a sharp rise in housing fees, in the illegal privatization of the city's historic sites, in the failure of the housing and communal services reform. But all this did not prevent Gref from confidently going upstairs.

The Conquest of Moscow

In 1998, Gref became a member of the collegium of the Ministry of Property of the Russian Federation and, in connection with this, moved to Moscow. And almost immediately appointed by the first deputy minister of state property of the Russian Federation, he was protected by Anatoly Chubais. The next year, Herman Oskarovich develops a stormy activity, he is a member of the Council for Economic Affairs of the regional policy of the Russian Federation, the board of representatives of the Russian government in OJSC Svyazinvest and Rosgosstrakh, is on the board of directors of Aeroflot, Gazprom and Sibneft ". He is appointed head of the government commission to verify the activities of the Federal Security Service.

In 2000, Gref became the head of the Center for Strategic Research under the Government of the Russian Federation. He is an important figure in the economic block of the government of the Russian Federation, and his situation is only increasing.

Government of the RF

After the victory of V. Putin in 2000, a new Minister of Economic Development and Trade and a new man, Gref German Oskarovich, appeared in the government of the Russian Federation. Biography (who is G. Gref, then it was interesting to many), he made a new round. His person was little known to the general public, and his appearance caused some puzzling questions. "Gref German Oskarovich - who is this?" - initially asked journalists, but the situation quickly changed.

The Minister of Economic Development leads the working group on the development of the country's development strategy until 2004. In June Gref was elected a member of the board of directors of UES of Russia, in July he was appointed governor of the Russian government at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The main task that Gref had to resolve as minister was negotiations on Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization. Negotiations are not easy, the accession is constantly being postponed, as the country is offered unfavorable conditions, they will be completed only in 2011. However, Gref was able to conclude bilateral agreements with all world powers.

In 2004, the entire government of Mikhail Kasyanov was dismissed, but German Gref received an appointment in the new cabinet of Mikhail Fradkov. He again becomes Minister of Economic Development, although he does not have a very friendly relationship with the new prime minister. Two years have lasted mutual quibbles and dislike of Fradkov and Gref, at each meeting of the government they can not do without hurting each other. But gradually they get used to exist in parallel.

In 2006, the Cabinet of Ministers adopts the development program for 2 years, developed by the Gref Office. This program experts called an example of an extraordinary compromise between Gref, Fradkov and Kudrin. German Oskarovich was able to agree with colleagues on doubling the GDP in the next 10 years and reducing the VAT rate to 13%. During this period Gref demonstrates his extraordinary talent as a negotiator and the ability to find a compromise even in the most difficult situations. Thanks to his abilities and constant support of Putin, he was able to hold on as Minister of Economic Development at five premiers. At the same time Gref always remained an ardent supporter of market economy and liberalism.

In 2007, Fradkov resigns, but the Cabinet continues to temporarily perform his duties for some time. And in September 2007, the new Prime Minister Zubkov appoints new ministers, Elvira Nabiullina, who worked as his first deputy, comes to Gref's place. And Herman Oskarovich was waiting for a new, promising appointment.

Business of life - Sberbank

In 2007 Gref German Oskarovich, whose biography again makes a turn, receives a new post. The Supervisory Board of Sberbank of Russia offers his candidacy for the post of president and chairman of the board of the country's main bank. Herman Gref (the biography of the head of the Savings Bank changes dramatically from this moment) takes on a large load and begins to work actively in a new field. He saw his task in creating a client-oriented bank.

Start Gref decided with a serious increase in the level of staff. When assuming office, he said that he would not conduct personnel reshuffles, but still several representatives of the top echelon of managers applied for dismissal, some of the employees were dismissed after internal certification.

He launched work to improve the retail lending service, expanded the number of services received through the Internet, introduced a convenient Internet banking service, was able to involve pensioners in the large amount in the use of credit cards.

Significant changes have also affected the corporate culture of the institution. He launched a very expensive rebranding in order to change the attitude of the bank to its potential customers. This Gref caused a lot of outrage, as the country was raging crisis, and he was spending money on advertising. He forced managers to go to the gym, brought back to life the tradition of savings banks and carried out a variety of corporate holidays. So, a year passes at least five major in-house holidays of the Savings Bank: New Year, St. Valentine's Day, March 8, birthday and the event "Savings Bank of Talents", which are spent considerable sums.

For 8 years of Gref's work in the bank, he was able to achieve much of the target, but the image of Sberbank in the country is mostly not very favorable, especially because of poor quality of service in regional offices. In May 2015, the general meeting of shareholders of Sberbank extended the contract with Gref until 2019.

Gref German Oskarovich (the biography of a banker, as you see, is incredibly successful) is an example of how you can combine public service with private business. Over the years, he increased his stake in Sberbank from 0.0007 to 0.003%, was able to become a member of the boards of directors of several major companies, including the Internet company Yandex.

Gref German Oskarovich, whose brief biography describes him primarily as the head of Sberbank, is actively criticized by ill-wishers. He is accused of using the bank's funds for personal and family needs, that he has established incredibly huge salaries and bonuses for himself. The bank is reproached for the enslaving conditions for mortgages and predatory interest on loans and deposits. Personally, Gref is credited with the fact that he forced state organizations to work to pay wages only through Sberbank, as well as in many violations, illiteracy and nepotism. So, all holidays of the Savings Bank are conducted by the company in which Gref's niece works, relatives get loans on preferential terms, etc. The banker does not react to all charges, and this makes them insignificant.

Achievements and awards

For the service, any country awards its citizens, and an example of this is German Oskarovich Gref. Russia knows how to thank its sons, and the life of the banker is more than indicative. Over the years of work in the government and the main bank of the country, Gref was twice awarded the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, as well as the Order of Honor, Alexander Nevsky, Saint Prince Daniel of Moscow, honorary diplomas and gratitudes of the President of the Russian Federation, and PA Stolypin's medal. He is also a Knight of the Order of the Legion of Honor of France, an honorary citizen of Astrakhan and Peterhof.

Gref Herman Oskarovich, whose full biography includes more than one page, occupies a worthy place among the honorable citizens of modern Russia.

Among his achievements, one can name the degree of candidate of economic sciences, which he received by defending a thesis on "Development and prospects of structural institutional reforms in the Russian economy."

Mentions in the press

Gref Herman Oskarovich, whose biography and press portrait are full of facts with both a plus sign and a minus sign, is often mentioned in printed publications. Usually, he makes statements related to significant events in Sberbank, as well as comments on news from the economy. A lot of noise was caused by his speech at the economic forum in St. Petersburg in 2012, when he said that he was afraid of the idea of transferring power to the people, since it is impossible to fulfill the desires of all, and that a simple people should not have knowledge, since It will not be possible to manage them. The press wrote a lot about his speech at the Exchange's forum in 2015, when he criticized the government's economic policy and called for a new privatization, in particular, to sell part of Sberbank's shares.

The opposition press likes to scold representatives of pro-government organizations, and they always have an excellent target - Gref German Oskarovich. Compromising material (the banker's biography has not been without him) often appears on the Internet and in the media. He is accused of lack of a profile economic education, in incontinence towards the staff, they write that he can shout at the employees, leading them to tears, that he is arrogant and vindictive. That is why, according to the press, with the arrival of Gref from the Savings Bank, most of the top professionals quit.

Favorite theme of the yellow press are numerous violations in the treatment of finances during the St. Petersburg period of Gref's life and even accusations of involvement in the death of Manevich. All these accusations remain unanswered by the banker, he does not refute them, but simply ignores them.

Personal life

Gref Herman Oskarovich, a biography whose personal lives are of interest to the media and the population, married for the first time right after school. His wife became a classmate Elena Velikanova, a recognized beauty. At the age of 18 Gref was already a father, the couple had a son Oleg, who is now engaged in business. His father gave him a five-room apartment measuring 250 square meters. The first marriage was able to survive the service of Herman in the army, and his studies in Omsk. In Leningrad, Gref takes his wife with him, but he spends little time with her, as he engages in careers, and the marriage eventually disintegrates. But later he buys his wife an apartment from five rooms in Malaya Bronnaya in Moscow Herman Gref. Biography, his wife and family are constantly under the scrutiny of critics of state financial policy.

Gref married again in 2004. The wedding in Peterhof, in the Throne Room, made a lot of noise, as indignant residents of St. Petersburg were perplexed as a rather modest official could afford a holiday of this magnitude. The second wife of Gref Jan is engaged in design. In 2006, the couple had a daughter, in 2008 - the second. Evil tongues say that children have come from a surrogate mother. But there are no proofs of such statements. Gref German Oskarovich, a biography whose wife arouses curiosity among many Russians, does not comment on all the rumors and just lives his life.

Interesting facts from the life of Herman Gref

The houses in the family of Grefs with all three children spoke German, at school - in Russian, and Herman speaks these languages perfectly.

Gref is known for his eccentric antics: he appeared on a corporate suit in a hussar costume on a white horse, then appeared all in white and began to dance tango (to look spectacular on stage, he spent a month studying with a teacher from Argentina).

In 2013, Forbes magazine placed him on the fifth place in the list of the most expensive managers in Russia, his salary was estimated at $ 15 million.