OREANDA-NEWS. August 28, 2007. Chris Weafer has been working in emerging markets for twenty-five years. Mr. Weafer was voted Russia’s top country strategist in the 2007 All-Russia survey carried out by the financial service group, Thomson-Extel, reported the press-centre of URALSIB Bank.

Prior to joining URALSIB Bank, Mr. Weafer held a similar position with Alfa Bank in Moscow for almost five years and before that he was Head of Research with the local investment bank, Troika Dialog, which he joined in July 1998. Prior to coming to Moscow, Mr. Weafer worked with NatWest Markets as head of research in South East Asia during the very turbulent period around the 1997 currency crisis.

Mr. Weafer also worked for eight years as Senior Investment Manager with the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest money management firms in the world, based in the United Arab Emirates. In this role he was involved in active money management, helping formulate portfolio strategies for private equity and listed investments.

Mr. Weafer started his investment career in 1979 as an analyst with the Irish Life Assurance Company in Dublin, then the country’s largest mutual and pension fund manager, leaving as Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Research eight years later.