Oleg Vladislavovich Babinov 1967 - 2023: a message from Chris Rowley

We are very sorry to pass on that Oleg Babinov died on 21 January, aged 55. He leaves behind his wife Tatiana, their daughter Anna and son Daniil, to whom we send our deepest condolences.

Oleg was a founder member of Risk Advisory, and the head of our hugely successful Moscow office for more than 20 years. He played a critical part in our success in the region, and built a very strong following among clients and colleagues alike. It is not hyperbole to say that his knowledge of people and businesses across the former Soviet Union was unrivalled. Richard Prior, who worked with Oleg in Russia from 1994, said ‘there was no blueprint for gathering business intelligence in Russia in the early 1990s, but given the extraordinary level of crime and corruption, the need for intelligence services was enormous. Oleg was one of the true pioneers in the creation of a modern business intelligence industry in Russia and the CIS’.   

Oleg will be remembered with immense fondness at Risk Advisory.  He was invariably kind and patient towards those he worked with, helping to mentor new generations of TRAG investigators.

He was also a great raconteur, with a story for every occasion, many of which reflected his deep love of Russia and Russian humour, and his commitment to his country’s place in the wider world. I had the pleasure of travelling with him extensively across the US and saw many times what a cultured, creative soul he was.  While many people knew Oleg in his professional guise, fewer were aware that he was also an accomplished poet. Indeed, his work attracted a dedicated following. His love of poetry, music and the visual arts marked him as a man with a deep cultural hinterland which brought perspective to his life, and helped to make him such good company outside the world of work.

Those who had the pleasure of getting to know Oleg through his professional life will, along with his former colleagues at Risk Advisory, be deeply saddened by the news of his untimely death.