Russia's Gazprom names Elena Burmistrova deputy CEO for exports

Russian natural gas giant Gazprom has appointed Elena Burmistrova, the head of Gazprom Export, to the post of deputy chief executive overseeing exports, it said.

The appointment could make Burmistrova, who retains her position at Gazprom Export, the de-facto head of Gazprom’s broader exporting business. Gazprom’s sales account for more than 5 percent of Russia’s $1.6 trillion economy.

Burmistrova replaces Alexander Medvedev, the veteran deputy chief executive who was relieved of his post in February after years as a key figure in Gazprom’s often hard negotiations with European countries over gas supplies.

He was replaced by Burmistrova as head of Gazprom Export in 2014.

Gazprom on Monday also named Oleg Aksyutin, already a board member, as a deputy chief executive. Aksyutin and Burmistrova join at least four other deputy CEOs at Gazprom.

A fifth, deputy chief executive Andrei Kruglov, has left the company in order to work in government, Gazprom said. (Reporting by Oksana Kobzeva; Writing by Tom Balmforth; Editing by Jan Harvey and Louise Heavens)