Position: Chairman of the National Bank of Ukraine
Incumbent: Serhiy Arbuzov
Date of Birth: March 24, 1976
Term: Appointed in December 2010. Tenure determined by the president.
Key facts:
– Arbuzov comes from Donetsk, the home region and power base of President Viktor Yanukovich.
– Arbuzov’s mother Valentina Arbuzova, an experienced banker, is the chief executive of a private bank owned by Yanukovich’s son, Oleksandr Yanukovich.
– Under Arbuzov, the central bank has continued the policy of maintaining hryvnia exchange rate stability, burning some of its reserves to support the currency when it came under pressure.
– Arbuzov rarely speaks to the media but regularly posts videos discussing latest economic indicators and central bank policies on the bank’s website
– As Yanukovich sought to boost the slowing economy by a $3 billion spending package this year ahead of parliamentary elections, Arbuzov’s central bank also softened its monetary policy, cutting the key rate for the first time since mid-2010.
