Olga Golodets

Olga Golodets (Russian: Ольга Юрьевна Голодец; born 1 June 1962) is a Russian politician and economist who served as a deputy prime minister from 2012 to 2020. She was the most senior woman in the Russian government.

Early life and education Golodets was born in Moscow on 1 June 1962. She holds a bachelor's degree in economics which she received from Lomonosov Moscow State University in 1984.

Career Golodets began her career as a researcher at the R&D institute of labour and the employment problems institute of the Russian Science Academy. In 2001, she was appointed deputy governor for social issues in Taimyr (Dolgano-Nenets) Autonomous Area. From July 2008 to December 2010 she was the president of the all-Russian inter-industry association of employers and also board chair at the Soglasiye Insurance Company. She was also a member of the Moscow city government during the same period.

She was appointed one of seven deputy ministers to the cabinet led by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on 21 March 2012. She was in charge with social affairs and policies in the cabinet. The deputy premiership for social affairs was firstly established in May 2012.

On 15 January 2020, she resigned from the office after President Vladimir Putin delivered the Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly in which he proposed several amendments to the constitution. On 11 February 2020, she was appointed to the board of Sberbank, as deputy chair under Herman Gref.

Sanctions Golodets was sanctioned by the British government in 2022 in relation to the Russo-Ukrainian War.

Honours 2015: Commander of the Order of Saint-Charles