After working in management consulting and commercial banking sectors for 7 years, Irine Kvakhadze embraced an opportunity to work in a local nongovernment organization – Business Association of Georgia (BAG) as a Deputy Director. Business Association of Georgia unites large companies operating in the country and its main function is to hold a dialogue with the government on issues crucially important for the private sector. In this position Irine leads following directions: strategic development projects, research unit, partnerships with International Financial Institutions, Donor Organizations, and think-tanks. Irina acquired her degree, Master of Business Administration from one of the world’s top business schools, HEC Paris. During her career in advocacy, she has produced several articles, research papers and participated in local and international conferences as a speaker on the topics relevant to economic development and gender equality.
Ambassador Kutelia is the Vice President of the Atlantic Council of Georgia and the Next Generation Leader fellow at the McCain Institute for International Leadership. He served as the Deputy Secretary of the National Security Council of Georgia, since January 2011 till November 2013. From 2008 until 2011 he was the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United States of America, Canada and Mexico. In his previous capacities he has been First Deputy Minister of Defense (2007-2008), Deputy Minister of Defense and Foreign A airs (2006-2007) and Deputy Minister of State Security (2004).
From 2005-2006 he functioned as the Head of the Intelligence Service of Georgia. Before this he was the Head of the Foreign Intelligence Department of the Ministry of State Security of Georgia and Director of the Political Security Department of the National Security Council in 2004, also numerous pol.-mil. positions at the Ministry of Foreign A airs. Before turning into his diplomatic and political career Mr. Kutelia studied physics and holds a PhD in physics. However, he also holds a master in Public A airs Administration. Mr. Kutelia is uent in English, Russian and Georgian languages.
Nata Koridze is currently head of the Euro-Atlantic Integration Coordination Department at the Office of State Minister of Georgia on European and Euro-Atlantic Integration. In 1997 she received a Bachelor’s degree from Georgian Polytechnic University. In 1995-1996 Nata won the Freedom Support Act Undergraduate program scholarship and spent one year at the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire. In 1999 Mrs. Koridze graduated from Georgian Institute of Public Administration/GIPA with Masters of Public Administration. In 2000 she participated at the Edmund Muskie Graduate Fellowship Program competition and gained a chance to study for two years in a graduate school in the US. In 2002 she graduated from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs/SIPA with a Master’s Degree in International Affairs. Nata started her carrier as a program assistant in American Councils for Education and Language Studies/ACTR-ACCELS in 1996 and then continued as assistant to European Food Security Network/RESAL country representative in Georgia.
Throughout her diplomatic career Nata worked on the European and Euro-Atlantic integration related issues, relations with UN, OSCE and Council of Europe, as well as conflict-related issues. In 2008-2012 she was posted as Counselor in Brussels, at the Mission of Georgia to the European Union. After returning from Brussels Nata continued working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs until January 2013 when she was offered the position of the Head of EuroAtlantic Integration Coordination Department at the Office of State Minister of Georgia on European and Euro-Atlantic Integration.
Aleksi Khoroshvili graduated the faculty of Business Administration in Finance and Accounting from Caucasus School of Business in 2004. He began his Career in 2003 at ERNST & YOUNG Audit LLC, as an Auditor for Financial and non-financial Services Clients, up until 2009. During his career he held senior positions at ERNST & YOUNG’s various offices such as Moscow, Baku, New York and Tbilisi. Aleksi Khoroshvili joined JSC “Liberty Bank” in November, 2009 as a Chairman of the Audit Committee. In October, 2015 he was elected as a Chief Executive Officer at JSC “Liberty Bank”.
Professor Akaki Kheladze presently serves as a Rector of Bank of Georgia University (Tbilisi, Georgia) since its foundation. He is a Professor of Management at Grenoble School of Management (Grenoble, France) and distinguished fellow of New Westminster College (Vancouver, British Columbia), a member of the Board of Directors of the Alumni Association at the Caucasus School of Business. Prof. Kheladze holds a dual PhD degree in Management from Caucasus University (Tbilisi, Georgia) and Georgia State University (Atlanta, Georgia, USA). He earned MBA in Management in 2003 and a BBA in Finance in 2001, both from the Caucasus School of Business at Caucasus University.
Prof. Kheladze possesses more than 10 years of teaching experience, delivering lectures and training in the universities and at local and international private and public institutions. His expertise includes provision of training in the field of project management, decision making, leadership, management concepts, and Business plan development. In various time periods he served as Dean of School of Economic and Business at Tbilisi State University (Tbilisi, Georgia), Director of Undergraduate and Graduate Programs at Caucasus Business School (Tbilisi, Georgia), Management Professor at London School of Business and Finance (London, UK). Apart from the academic and higher education management activities, Prof. Kheladze is also actively engaged in training and consulting activities. He has also held leading positions at public and private organizations.
Shio Khetsuriani joined Public Service Development Agency (PSDA) of the Ministry of Justice of Georgia as a Chairman in September 2014. Since then he is working to improve public services throughout the country. As the Chairman of the agency, Shio is managing and overseeing the work of the civil registry, responsible for the issuance of ID cards, passports, civil certificates, residence permits; implementation of e-Governance in Georgian municipalities; development of Community Centers, ensuring access to more than 200 public and private services for the local population; activities of the in-house Innovative Service Lab that generates new ideas to design and deliver improved services for the citizens and different state and public entities; Overall, Shio supervises around 1300 employees of the agency across 75 territorial offices in Georgia.
Before moving to the PSDA, Shio worked at the Bank Republic, Societe Generale and at the Consulate General of Georgia in New York. Shio’s diverse professional experience is backed up by the Masters’ Degree in Banking from the Georgian Technical University, along with the Masters’ of Science Degree in Finance from Baruch College, City University of New York, United States. Over the past few years Shio has focused on public sector issues – attracting potential investors to Georgia; creating and developing public services, by increasing their accessibility, particularly in the rural parts of Georgia; improving Georgian travel document security and personal data protection, coupled with coordination of migration management processes in the Country and oversight over the implementation of the EU-Georgia Visa Liberalization Action Plan.
Tinatin Karosanidze is the Dean of the Institute of Asia and Africa (School of International Relations) at Free University of Tbilisi and Professor of International Relations (Terrorism and counterterrorism studies); Tinatin gives lectures in Arabic language, the Middle East Religions, International Terrorism, History of the Middle East, and Religion in World policy. In 1999 Tinatin graduated from Tbilisi Institute of Asia and Africa, faculty of International relations and History of Middle East Countries (Arabic department). In 1998-1999 she studied Arabic language at Cairo University (Egypt). In 2006 she got PhD in world history, the topic of the thesis was: “Islamic fundamentalism in modern Egyptian politics: Strategy of “Muslim Brothers” and other radical Islamic organizations”.
In 2006-2009 Mrs. Karosanidze worked as an Assistant in the near and middle east department at G.Tsereteli Institute of Oriental Studies. In 2008-2009 she worked at the embassy of the Republic of Iraq in Georgia as an assistant to the Ambassador and translator. In 2013 Tinatin got the Order of Honor from the President of Georgia for contribution in Georgian education and academic field. She was Carnegie Research Fellow and a visiting scholar in SAIS at Johns Hopkins University, Washington DC in January-May, 2014. The title of her research was: Islamic radicalism in the North Caucasus and ties to the Middle East Islamic fundamentalism. Tinatin is author of 20 publications and one monograph.
Elza Jgerenaia is heading Labor and Employment Policy Department at the Ministry of Labor, Health and Social affairs since 2014. During her carrier she served as a project coordinator at the Caucasian Institute for Economic and Social Research, as Chief specialist in the division of State Procurements and Property Management at the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Deputy Head of Social Policy Department at the Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Affairs. Elza has also worked at the Ministry of Economy as a Graduate Employee in the department of foreign economic relations. From 1999 to 2008 she was a senior lecturer at the Tbilisi State University, the Ilia State University and the Tbilisi Grigol Robakidze University. Elza is a PHD Fellow in Business Administration at the University of Minho, Braga in Portugal and a PHD Fellow at the Ilia State University. She holds master’s degree in Economics from the Tbilisi State University.
Badri Japaridze is a prominent Georgian businessman, founding shareholder and ViceChairman of the Supervisory Board of JSC TBC Bank, leading universal bank in Georgia, who has enjoyed successful career in both public and private sectors. In 1990 he was elected Member of Parliament of Georgia (1990 – 1992) and was a co-signatory of the Declaration of Independence of Georgia in 1991. In 1995, Mr. Badri Japaridze, together with his partners, founded “Georgian Glass and Mineral Water & Co N. V.”, now IDS Borjomi, producing famous mineral water Borjomi.
Graduate of both Tbilisi State University and Moscow State University, Mr. Japaridze’s academic background is in Psychology, where he holds a post-graduate degree from Moscow State University year 1985, he is author of more than 10 research papers. At present, Mr. Japaridze serves on the Board of Directors of American Chamber of Commerce in Georgia, is Vice-Chairman of the Board of EU-Georgia Business Council, founding partner and member of the Supervisory Board of Georgian Reconstruction and Development Company (GRDC) – leading real estate development company in Georgia, founding partner and member of the Supervisory Board of Geoplant Ltd – tea production company.
Mr. Gorgodze served as the Deputy Head of Offsite Supervision Department from 2009 to 2010. He held various positions in monetary part of National Bank of Georgia from 2005. Prior to joining the public sector, he worked in commercial banks as a credit officer and investment economic analyst. He also worked as the manager of market research at B-Consulting. Previously, he worked for Polish based NGO CASE-Transcaucasus Foundation to develop its regional economic publication. He also held various teaching positions at Caucasus School of Business, International Black Sea University and Georgian American University and worked as a Junior Researcher in Economics Institute of Czech Academy of Sciences. He has various publications on the topics of economic development/structural transformation and risk management. Mr. Gorgodze holds FRM designation certified by Global Association of Risk Professionals.
Eka Gigauri has served as TI Georgia’s Executive Director since December 2010. Born on April 14, 1978, she graduated from Tbilisi State University with a bachelor’s degree in International Relations. In 2001 Ms. Gigauri graduated from Caucasian University with an MBA degree. She received her second L.L.M degree in International Law from VU University Amsterdam. Eka Gigauri worked in different state institutions, mainly in the field of foreign affairs, including in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Transportation and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Until 2008, she served as Deputy Head of the Boarder Police of Georgia where she was in charge of legal and International affairs as well as supervising the overall reformation process of the agency. Ms. Gigauri also has in working for the private sector concentrated in Marketing and Public Relations consultancy.
Gigi Gigiadze graduated with Master’s degree the International Relations faculty at Tbilisi State University in 2001. In 2000 he entered diplomatic service and until 2003 was in charge of the bilateral relations with German language countries at the First European Department. 2003-2007 Gigiadze was Counsellor at the Georgian Embassy to the Hellenic Republic covering political and bilateral issues. Within the same period from August 2004 until January 2005 he was an acting head of consular section of the Georgian Embassy in Athens. From 2007 until 2012 Mr. Gigiadze served at different positions in the European Affairs Department the latest being the Director of the Department.
In 2012 was appointed as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Georgian Embassy to the German Federal Republic. Within the same period from February 2013 until January 2014 he was chargé d’affaires ad interim of Georgia in Germany. Since November 2014 Gigi Gigiadze is the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia responsible for the relations with the European Union, bilateral relations with European countries and Diplomatic Training Center at the Ministry. Mr. Gigiadze speaks English, German and Russian languages. He is a passionate swimmer and a former water polo player.
