Russian statesman, the president and chairman of the board of the Sberbank of Russia, chairman of the board of the Center for Strategic Research. Member of the board of directors of “Yandex”.

Herman Gref was born in a family of ethnic Germans, who were exiled to Kazakhstan from Donbas in 1964. In 1990 he graduated from the Law Faculty of the Omsk State University with a diploma in jurisprudence.

From 1991 to 1992 – legal adviser of first category at the Committee for Economic Development and Property Administration of Petrodvorets and St. Petersburg.

In 1992 was appointed as the Head of the Petrodvorets District Agency of the Committee for City Property Management, St. Petersburg Mayor’s Office.

From 1992-1994, he was Chairman of the Property Management Committee and Deputy Head of the Administration of Petrodvorets.

In 1994 – the Deputy Chairman of the Committee for City Property, First Deputy Chairman of the Committee for City Property Management, St Petersburg Mayor’s Office.

In 1997-1998 -Vice Governor and Chairman of the Committee for City Property Management, St. Petersburg Mayor’s Office.

In 2000 he was appointed as the First Deputy Minister of State Property of the Russian Federation.

From 1991 to 1998, German Gref was a member of the boards of directors of such companies as “Lenenergo” JSC , “Sea Port of St. Petersburg” and “Petersburg – Channel 5”. In 1998, Gref moved to Moscow, where he worked in the Ministry of State Property of Russian Federation. In 2000 he became a member Mikhail Kasyanov’s government and received the portfolio of the Minister of Economic Development. In 2007, German Gref headed the board of Sberbank Russia.
In October 2011, German Gref was included in the list of top ten most eccentric Russian businessmen, according to Forbes. In 2013 he was included in a less exotic rating – he became one of the five most expensive Russian managers.

He was awarded with the Gratitude of the President of the Russian Federation and with the Merit for Service to the Fatherland, 4th Class.

Honorary Citizen of Peterhof (2007).