Gazprom, the world's largest conventional gas producer, has appointed Elena Burmistrova as Director General of its natural gas export division.
Prior to her appointment, Burmistorva was Deputy Director General of Oil and Gas Products, LNG and New Markets at Gazprom Export LLC, since April 2011. She joined Gazprom Export in 2003, after starting her career in 1992 at Swiss-based Glencore, one of the world's biggest mining and trading houses.
Burmistrova, 43, is the only woman on Gazprom's nine-member Board of Directors.
She replaces Alexander Medvedev, 58, who ran Gazprom Export for 12 years. Medvedev will remain deputy chairman of the state-controlled company. Time reported in 2009 that "One-third of the gas consumed in Europe passes through Medvedev's hands, and 60% of Gazprom's total revenues come from exports."
Gazprom Export is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Gazprom, supplying natural gas to over 20 countries. The company is focused on exporting gas condensate, oil, oil derivatives, liquefied petroleum gases as well as other petroleum and petrochemical products. Gazprom Export sells gas in the new markets, optimizes export flows, analyzes and forecasts the gas market behavior. It is involved in developing and implementing Gazprom’s investment gas and energy projects in Russia and abroad.
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