Vladimir Ivanovich Yakunin (born June 30, 1948 in Melenki, Vladimir Oblast) is a Russian public figure, businessman and former president of Russian Railways (June 2005 – August 2015). In 2012 he was elected chairman of the Union of Railways (UIC) a position he held until 2015. In March 2014 he was placed on the US State Department's list of Russian officials and businessmen sanctioned in the wake the annexation of Crimea.

In August 2015, media reports said Yakunin has retired as head of Russian Railways, but in October, further reports suggested he had been dismissed. Russian and British media have alleged that Yakunin’s dismissal was a direct result of his son Andrey Yakunin’s decision to apply for UK citizenship.

After stepping down as head of Russian Railways he has continued to be engaged in public work as a founder and president of World Public Forum “Dialogue of Civilizations”. In October 2015 he started work on creating an international think tank focused on the search for solutions to help de-escalate tensions across the world.