Beyond his work inside of one Russia's leading energy companies, Andrey Elokhin is highly esteemed for his work in the Russian risk management community.

A vp of the Moscow-based Russian Risk Management Society, Mr. Elokhin has been an active member of the group since the founding of the association nearly seven years ago.

Mr. Elokhin has played a lead role in the development of training seminars for Russian risk managers and is a frequent speaker at the seminars.

Aside from being dedicated to educating fellow risk managers, he also is working with the next generation by serving as an adviser to doctoral students at the Russian State University of Oil and Gas.

“His contributions to RusRisk activities are significant, as in by sharing his work experience as well as his involvement in academic projects,” said Nadia Nosova, managing partner at Korna Risk Management in Moscow and a fellow RusRisk board member. “He's got an ability to welcome into the risk management discussion people of different backgrounds and professions.”

At RusRisk, which has more than 60 members, Mr. Elokhin serves as a mediator between the risk and insurance management community and the insurance market, fostering a closer dialogue among managers, insurers and brokers.

When language barriers present a problem, Mr. Elokhin—who speaks and reads English but prefers to use a translator in complex discussions—has been active in ensuring important risk management documents are available in Russia.

Mr. Elokhin translated United Nation's APELL documents, which stands for Awareness and Preparedness for Emergencies at Local Level.

APELL is a program developed by the United Nations Environment Program in cooperation with governments and industry, with the purpose of minimizing the occurrence and effects of technological accidents and environmental emergencies.

Additionally, Mr. Elokhin is preparing for RusRisk a three-volume set on risk management terminology, an update on the status of risk and insurance management in Russia, and a “Who's Who” of professional and market players.

“Mr. Elokhin was the driving force behind the creation of a Russian risk management "language' and common principles,” said Victor Vereshchagin, president of RusRisk. “He created a network of experts in Russia to translate the leading risk and insurance management literature into Russian, a huge achievement and foundation stone for the development of a more professional risk and insurance management community in Russia.”

Mr. Vereshchagin said it's a boost for risk management in Russia that Mr. Elokhin has been named Business Insurance's European Risk Manager of the Year for 2009.

As a vp for RusRisk, Mr. Elokhin's “award will also be an award for the Russian Risk Management Society,” Mr. Vereshchagin said.