Sergei Kvardakov received his bachelor's degree in translation and interpreting (English, German) from Maurice Thorez Moscow Foreign Languages University in 1982 and spent the next ten years with the VNIIKTEP Energy Research Institute of the USSR State Planning Committee as a staff translator. During that time, he also studied energy sector economics at the Gosplan's Higher Economics Courses this giving him a valuable economic qualification.
As professional interpreter, Sergei gained extensive experience of working at domestic and international energy-related conferences, workshops, seminars, round tables etc in the 1980/90ies (Tokyo, New Delhi, Berlin, Copenhagen, Dortmund, New York, Tallinn and many others). He has vast and deep knowledge of energy sectors (oil, gas, electricity, renewables, energy saving), good understanding of economics, taxation, banking, law, financial and stock markets. Since the 1980-ies, he worked on numerous assignments and projects in close contact with Western experts, companies and officials.
Working since 1993 as an in-house translator/interpreter and project coordinator first with the French bank Lazard Freres, and then after 1996 with its Russian spinoff private investment boutique Vanguard Limited, Sergei was involved in many consultancy projects (inter alia relating to project finance, M&A, restructurings, privatizations, finance mobilization, strategic alliances etc). In 1990 to 2005, Sergei collaborated on a bunch of World Bank’s TAL consultancy projects delivered by NERA for such major Russian clients as RAO UES of Russia, Gazprom, Ministry of Fuel and Energy of Russia, Sukhoi and many others.
After 2013, Sergei has concentrated on his freelancer carrier serving various clients both in Russia and worldwide.