The Analytical Credit Rating Agency (ACRA) is undergoing leadership changes as it moves forward with its strategic agenda. On the agency’s board of directors, a decision was made to end the powers of the current chief executive officer, Mikhail Sukhov, on the board’s own initiative. The change is effective August 30, and Sukhov will transition into a role as ACRA Board Advisor, continuing to offer guidance and expertise from a high-level perspective as the organization executes its next phase of growth.
In related announcements, Vladimir Gusakov, a current member of ACRA’s board and the managing director of the Moscow Stock Exchange responsible for issuer relations and authorities, has been named as the new chief executive officer of ACRA. The agency highlighted Gusakov’s extensive experience in capital markets and regulatory affairs as a strong match for the leadership needs of ACRA during this period of evolution.
Sukhov has explained that his departure from the chairmanship is tied to a deliberate effort to align his work with his broader goals in business and management. He expressed a wish to devote more time to developing creative methodological and analytical approaches within ACRA, indicating a desire to deepen the agency’s methodological framework and analytical capacity for credit assessment. This move is described as a shift toward strengthening the underlying research and evaluation processes that inform ACRA’s credit ratings and market intelligence.
Previously, Mikhail Sukhov held significant roles in Russia’s financial system. He joined ACRA in the spring of 2020 after a long career in public finance and monetary policy. Earlier in his career, from 1993 to 2016, Sukhov served in various capacities at the Central Bank of Russia, including a four-year period as Deputy Chairman of the Bank. His leadership experience extended to the private sector as well, where he held the role of Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors at VTB Bank from 2016 to 2018. This blend of central banking, regulatory, and banking leadership provided a deep reservoir of expertise that he brought to ACRA during his tenure as chair.
The Moscow Stock Exchange, which has remained a central venue for trading activity, has continued to record substantial trading volumes since February 2022. The performance of the exchange and the broader Russian capital markets has been a dynamic backdrop for ACRA’s work in credit assessment and market risk analysis, underscoring the importance of strong leadership and a clear analytical framework as the agency navigates evolving market conditions. This transition at ACRA is viewed as part of a broader effort to reinforce the reliability and credibility of credit ratings in a challenging market environment, ensuring that investors and issuers can rely on robust, transparent methodologies. — ACRA press release