President appoints Harvard graduate as his economic advisor
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Friday, March 18
The head of the President’s Administration, Giorgi Abashishvili, presented the President’s new economic advisor on March 16.
Maya Melikidze, a graduate of Harvard University Business School and the European Management School, with years of experience in banking and management sector, was appointed to the post.
Abashishvili, who previously served as the President’s economic advisor, stressed that Melikidze was selected by a group of experts who helped the President to choose the top three candidates for the National Bank of Georgia’s (NBG) board.
Abashishvili said that from the three nominees - Melikidze among them - the President selected Koba Gvenetadze as the NBG's new board member while Melikidze was offered the advisor’s post.
Melikidze said she was ready to be a member of the President’s team and continue the policies put forward by Giorgi Margvelashvili, which entails transparency and openness to the public, media and international organisations.
From 2013, Melikidze served as the head of the Coordination Department with the NBG and International Donors of the Tbilisi-based Liberty Bank.
In 2008-2009 she acted as a tax partner of Bank of Georgia, while from 2004 - 2008 Melikidze was a top auditor for the Ernst & Young insurance and business consulting service.
Between 2001-2002 she was a staff member of the Economy Reform Department of Georgia’s Governmental Administration.
During 2012 she also worked as a professor at Tbilisi Ilia State University Business School.
