Patokh Chodiev

Board member of the Eurasian Bank, Co-owner of “ENRC” PLC (Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation) and “IMR” (International Mineral Resources) companies

Dr Patokh Chodiev is an international businessman, diplomat, author and philanthropist.

Born in Uzbekistan on 15 April 1953, Dr Chodiev attended the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), widely acknowledged to be Russia’s leading educational establishment, graduating magna cum laude in 1976 with a degree in International Law and Japanese.  He went on to earn a PhD in Political Science.

In 1978, Dr Chodiev joined the diplomatic service and was posted to Tokyo where, speaking fluent Japanese, he specialised in Russian Japanese commercial relations for over a decade and developed his love and enthusiasm for Japan.

On leaving the diplomatic service in 1989, Dr Chodiev developed a global mining business that trades today as Eurasian Resources Group (ERG), one of the world’s leading diversified natural resources groups. Dr Chodiev founded bothEurasian Bank, one of the leading banking groups in Central Asia, and Eurasia Insurance, Kazakhstan’s leading insurer. He is also a member of the Academy of Natural Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Dr Chodiev is also a notable philanthropist, particularly in Russia and Central Asia, and an advocate of freedom of information, access to knowledge, and the arts.

In 2005, he was awarded the Order of Kurmet by the President of Kazakhstan for contributions to social, economic and cultural causes. That year, he was also awarded the Abraham Lincoln Medal for Democracy and Economic Freedom. In 2011, Dr Chodiev was awarded the Order of Barys for special service to the Kazakh State including industrial, scientific, socio-cultural and social activities.

In 2014, Dr Chodiev was made an honorary member of the Patrons of Japanese Arts by Akie Abe, the First Lady of Japan, and is also Honorary Chairman of the Association of Japanologists of the Russian Federation.

Dr. Chodiev is fluent in Uzbek, Russian, Japanese, and English. He is married, has a son, two daughters and four grandchildren.