Rafael Nagapetiants joined Alfa-Bank to lead the Bank's Corporate Finance Department. The major emphasis of the department is offering services for Russian and foreign clients in financial consulting on Mergers & Acquisitions.

Alfa-Bank, one of the Russia's largest privately owned banks, has won numerous awards, including Global Finance's Best M&A Advisor 2003 and 2004, Euromoney's Best M&A House in Russia and Best M&A Deal of the Year 2004.

“Alfa-Bank will continue its policy of actively developing corporate finance services in the markets of Russia and CIS countries, by offering a broad spectrum of high-quality services to corporate clients and by finding comprehensive and optimal business solutions. The core of this Department is comprised of highly competent professionals who have built a reputation for excellence in their field”, says Vladimir Tatarchuk, Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board and Head of Corporate Banking Division of Alfa-Bank.

The Bank will also continue to act as a strategic consultant for RAO UES of Russia, the largest natural monopoly in the country, on matters of company reform and the sale of its non-core assets.

Before joining Alfa-Bank, Mr Nagapetiants was SUN Group's Director (2001-2005) and Incombank's vice president (1994-2000). From 1984 to 1994 he worked for the Government, first at the Ministry of Finance and later at the Committee for Foreign Investment as a Deputy Chairman.

Born in 1962, Mr Nagapetiants graduated from the Moscow Finance Institute with MA in international economics (1984) and Moscow State University with MA in Law (1995). He also received an Economics Master of Science degree from Moscow Finance Institute (1991) and completed the financial management programme at the Amsterdam Institute of Finance (1996).