Andrii Yermak

Andriy Yermak was born on 21 November 1971 in Kyiv, Ukraine, which was then part of the Soviet Union. His mother, Maria, is Russian, while his father, Borys, is Jewish and a native of Kyiv. The couple married in 1971, and Yermak has a younger brother named Denys.

In 1995, Yermak graduated from the Institute of International Relations at Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv with a master's degree in international private law. He obtained his law practice license the same year.

Following his graduation, Yermak began working for the 'Proxen' law firm at the request of a professor. In 1997, he established his own law firm, focusing on intellectual property and commercial law, and became a member of the Association of Lawyers of Ukraine.

Yermak also ventured into media, founding the Garnet International Media Group in 2012 and producing films such as 'Rules of the Fight' and 'The Line.' He is a member of both the Ukrainian Film Academy and the European Film Academy since 2017.

Yermak became acquainted with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in 2011 and later contributed to Zelenskyy's presidential campaign in 2019. On 21 May 2019, he was appointed as Presidential Aide for Foreign Policy Issues, where he played a key role in negotiating prisoner exchanges with Russia during the war in Donbas.

On 11 February 2020, Yermak was appointed as the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, becoming a crucial advisor and member of the National Security and Defense Council the following day.

As head of the presidential office, Yermak was seen as a significant power broker in Ukraine, with Politico referring to him as Kyiv's 'Green Cardinal' in 2023. He was influential in military and foreign policy decisions, including advocating for the defense of Bakhmut in 2022.

However, his tenure was marked by controversies, including allegations of eroding democratic checks and balances and involvement in corruption scandals. Following a raid on his home by anti-corruption agents on 28 November 2025, Yermak resigned from his position, and he was formally removed from key government bodies by presidential decree on 6 December 2025.

Yermak has lived in Kyiv throughout his life. He is currently single and has no children.