Hryhoriy Surkis (Ukrainian: Суркіс Григорій Михайлович) (born September 4, 1949 in Odessa) is a Ukrainian businessman and politician. Surkis is the president of Football Federation of Ukraine.
Hryhoriy was born to a Jewish family. His father Mikhail (Rakhmil) Davydovych Surkis was a military doctor, mother, Rimma Yakivna Surkis, - sales specialist. He also has a brother Ihor Surkis. Surkis has an undergraduate diploma of an engineer-mechanic. At 22 he finished the Kyivan technological institute of food industry under a specialty in machines and apparatuses of food production. Already while in school, he worked as a senior engineer in material-technological logistic for Holovplodvynprom (Main directorate of wine industry) of Ukraine in 1971. From 1974 to 1988 he worked as a deputy-chief at "Kyivzhytlorembudmontazh" (Kiev-city municipal housing remodeling and construction company), master of Kharkiv SRBU #1, and chief of logistics for RBU #3. Then and until 1991 he held a variety of a technical leadership positions at the Kyivan city hall such as a chief engineer, chief of department, and others.
From 1991 to 1993 Surkis became a general director of "Dynamo-Atlantic". From 1993 to 1998 he was the president of the Ukrainian industrial financial concern Slavutych and the FC Dynamo Kyiv, LLC. Since 1998 and until 2006 he was a people representative of Ukraine, and since 1998 he has been a member of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Ukraine.
He was the president of the PFL of Ukraine from 1996 to 2000. In 2000 he was elected as the president of Football Federation of Ukraine and was re-elected twice, currently serving his third term. He is a member of the Committee of national associations FIFA since 2000. In 2006 he became a vice-president of NOC of Ukraine. Since 2007 he is a head of the Committee that deals with the beach soccer and "futzal". He is an ambassador of Ukraine to European Counsel in reference to sport, tolerantment, and fair game.
He was listed in Top-100 most powerful people in Ukraine rating in 2004 (26th place) and 2005 (38th) in Korrespondent newspaper version. Surkis was people deputy of III and IV convocations of Verkhovna Rada.
His brother Ihor Surkis is chairman of Dynamo Kyiv.[1]
In 2004 Surkis was refused a visa to the USA due to corruption allegations in Ukraine.[2]
| Preceded by N/A |
Presidents of PFL 1996–2000 |
Succeeded by Ravil Safiullin |
| Preceded by Valeriy Pustovoitenko |
Presidents of FFU 2000–present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |