Nika Gilauri was Prime Minister of Georgia from 2009 to 2012. He also served as Minister for Energy (2004–2007) and Minister for Finance (2007–2009).

Nika's tenure in government was marked by dramatic economic recovery and growth that countries only dream of, whereby his team enacted a series of bold and radical anti-corruption and growth hack tactics.  The results were monumental:

Georgia’s GDP rose from -9.0% when Mr Gilauri was appointed to +8.1% when his term came to an end in 2012. Georgia’s budgetary deficit also decreased under his leadership dropping from 9% in 2009 to 3% in 2012.  Mr Gilauri also guided reforms in the energy sector, fiscal policy, healthcare, customs, education and other spheres of economic development, and contributed to efforts to improve Georgia’s overall business environment. His greatest achievement as Minister of Energy was to transform Georgia from being a country of semi-permanent blackouts into a net exporter of electricity to all its neighbors.

After his retirement from government, Gilauri established Reformatics, an advisory firm which has worked with more than 20 governments around the world focusing on reform and economic diversification, including Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia.  Reformatics partners with several organizations such as McKinsey & Co., The World Bank Group (WBG), The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), The Asian Development Bank, and The Swedish International Development Agency.

Nika has written a book entitled "Practical Economics" (Palgrave Macmillan 2017) which reveals his formulas for government reform and economic recovery, including how to fight corruption, reform tax systems, create a competitive education and healthcare system, and streamline procurement.

The entire book "Practical Economics" has been available for free:

https://www.google.com/books/edition/Practical_Economics/v3IzDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=practical%20economics&pg=PR2&printsec=frontcover&bsq=practical%20economics

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Thanks to Ollie Guillou for tech support and editing with patience :)  He can be reached at: ollie.podcastproduction@gmail.com

About the host: Imad Shawa is the founder & CEO of Mlabbas, a print-on-demand apparel & accessories business.  Prior to that he worked in corporate banking at Arab Bank in London, and as an underwriter at Hartford Insurance in New York.  Imad is a Chevening Scholar with an MA in Near East Studies and Islamic Law from the University of London, SOAS. He also holds a BSc in Finance and International Business from New York University's Stern Business School.  His interests are politics, technology, economic reform, human rights and graphic design.