21.05.2025
12:00–13:30
Sanctions Navigator: Adapting Business to New Realities
Justice Quarter, conference hall E11
Many foreign companies are afraid to invest and do business in Russia due to the risk of secondary sanctions. This issue needs to be discussed and studied, and effective tools must be developed to mitigate such risks. The imposition of foreign sanctions on domestic businesses has resulted in numerous practical problems, such as how a sanctioned company should continue doing business and how it should restructure. It is crucial to discuss this situation, study the experience of Russia’s partners, and develop additional mechanisms to minimize the consequences of external restrictive measures. Clients, contractors, and foreign partners have been regularly raising this issue for a long time. They remain relevant and require additional discussions and the development of new mechanisms and methods to minimize the effects of unilateral sanctions. What are some of the new mechanisms and methods that aim to minimize the negative impact of unilateral sanctions? How can we improve international interaction and dialogue between Russian and foreign businesses, as well as government officials?
Moderator
German Zakharov
Partner, ALRUD Law Firm
Panellists
Platon Guryanov
Deputy Head of Legal Department, Russian Railways
Alexander Kravchenko
Director of the Legal Clinic Center of the Higher School of Law, Institute of Public Administration and Management, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA)
Viktor Nesterenko
President, PravoTEK; Member, Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC)
Ivan Timofeev
Chief Executive Officer, Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) (online)
Andrey Tsyganov
Deputy Head, Federal Antimonopoly Service of the Russian Federation (FAS Russia)
Tadzio Schilling
Chief Executive Officer, Association of European Businesses (АЕВ)
Broadcast

German Zakharov
Partner, ALRUD Law Firm

Platon Guryanov
Deputy Head of Legal Department, Russian Railways
Platon graduated from the Faculty of Law of the Russian State University of Trade and Economics and got an LLM degree at the University College London.
From 2005 to 2007 at the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia he was engaged in legal support for Russia's accession to the WTO and activities in other international organizations. He was ensuring the protection of the state in investment disputes. Platon participated in the drafting of amendments to the UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration and UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules.
Since 2007 he is in charge of legal support for the Russian Railways’ international activities (bilateral and multilateral cooperation, overseas projects), as well as monitoring and analysis of sanctions measures.
Platon is an Editor-in-Chief of the Bulletin of the Legal Department of Russian Railways - the winner of the Best Corporate Media 2021 award. He is also an arbitrator at the Arbitration Center at the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs.
From 2005 to 2007 at the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia he was engaged in legal support for Russia's accession to the WTO and activities in other international organizations. He was ensuring the protection of the state in investment disputes. Platon participated in the drafting of amendments to the UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration and UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules.
Since 2007 he is in charge of legal support for the Russian Railways’ international activities (bilateral and multilateral cooperation, overseas projects), as well as monitoring and analysis of sanctions measures.
Platon is an Editor-in-Chief of the Bulletin of the Legal Department of Russian Railways - the winner of the Best Corporate Media 2021 award. He is also an arbitrator at the Arbitration Center at the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs.

Alexander Kravchenko
Lawyer, "St. Petersburg" International Bar Association; Member of the Disciplinary Anti-doping Committee, RUSADA

Viktor Nesterenko
President, PravoTEK; Member, Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC)

Ivan Timofeev
Chief Executive Officer, Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC)
Programme Director of the Valdai Discussion Club; Director of Programmes of the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC); Associate Professor at MGIMO University. Since 2011, he has been responsible for the intellectual performance of RIAC, managing its programmes and projects. His personal background at RIAC includes working with Russian and foreign diplomats, governmental officials, experts, businessmen and NGO leaders regarding Russia’s foreign policy and public diplomacy. Since 2015 he has also been a programme director at the Valdai Discussion Club. Before joining RIAC, Dr. Timofeev was Head of Analytical Monitoring Centre at MGIMO University (2009–2011). He has been Associate Professor at MGIMO University since 2006. Dr. Timofeev is the author and co-author of more than 80 publications, issued in Russian and foreign academic press. He is a member of the editorial board at Comparative Politics.

Andrey Tsyganov
Deputy Head, Federal Antimonopoly Service of the Russian Federation (FAS Russia)

Tadzio Schilling
Chief Executive Officer, Association of European Businesses (АЕВ)
On May 1, 2020, Tadzio Schilling took office as the CEO of the Association of European Businesses (AEB).
Mr. Schilling was elected by representatives of the AEB’s member companies at the Annual General Meeting on March 17, 2020. He replaces Dr. Frank Schauff, who had headed the AEB since 2007 and was re-elected to a fourth term in 2016.
Tadzio Schilling holds an MA in International Relations and an advanced MA in International History and Politics from the Graduate Institute Geneva, as well as an Executive MPA from the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin.
In his professional career, he has worked in various finance, HR, and sales functions for companies such as Zurich Cantonal Bank, Dell Inc., Wesser & Partner, and FirstClimate. He has also worked as a researcher and lecturer in Russian Studies at the Humboldt University of Berlin.
Before joining the AEB, he served as Deputy Head of Economic Affairs, Finance, and Science at the Swiss Embassy, then as Inbound Business Development Leader and Head of the German Business Center at EY.
He has also served as Chairman of the AEB SME Committee and a Board Member of the Joint Chambers of Commerce Switzerland-CIS.
Tadzio speaks German, English, French, Italian, Russian, Polish, and some Chinese.
Mr. Schilling was elected by representatives of the AEB’s member companies at the Annual General Meeting on March 17, 2020. He replaces Dr. Frank Schauff, who had headed the AEB since 2007 and was re-elected to a fourth term in 2016.
Tadzio Schilling holds an MA in International Relations and an advanced MA in International History and Politics from the Graduate Institute Geneva, as well as an Executive MPA from the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin.
In his professional career, he has worked in various finance, HR, and sales functions for companies such as Zurich Cantonal Bank, Dell Inc., Wesser & Partner, and FirstClimate. He has also worked as a researcher and lecturer in Russian Studies at the Humboldt University of Berlin.
Before joining the AEB, he served as Deputy Head of Economic Affairs, Finance, and Science at the Swiss Embassy, then as Inbound Business Development Leader and Head of the German Business Center at EY.
He has also served as Chairman of the AEB SME Committee and a Board Member of the Joint Chambers of Commerce Switzerland-CIS.
Tadzio speaks German, English, French, Italian, Russian, Polish, and some Chinese.