The team promoting development of business

The team attracted by A1 Group for business development is highly professional with extensive Russian and international experience. We cooperate with professionals who have particular skills, creativity, a thorough knowledge of the nature of Russian risks and ability to manage them. In any project, A1 Group determines its goals so that implementation of every project starts with the selection of a well organized team of first-class executives.

Those tasked with identifying potential investment targets have implemented dozens of investment projects in most parts of the economy and have always achieved outstanding results. They have years in the investment business and each of them possesses unique experience and knowledge.

THE PROFESSIONALS

Denis Aleksandrov
2007-2008 – CFO of Investment Company Arlan. 2006-2007 – Commercial director and Board member of Timan Oil and Gas plc. Supervised the company’s listing on the London Stock Exchange (AIM). 2003-2006 – CFO and Board member of Highland Gold Mining. Also supervised Secondary Public Offering at the AIM and a number of M&A transactions. 2001-2003 – Alfa-Group Consortium: senior manager for corporate development, finance and supervision for CTF (corporate center of Alfa-Group) and director of corporate development, finance and supervision for oil trading company Crown Resources AG (London). 1996-2001 – PricewaterhouseCoopers Russia: auditor. In 1996 he graduated from the Far Eastern National University (Vladivostok), in 1995 received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland (USA). Fellow member of ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountant) since 2005.

Alexander Babikov
In 2000 he was Vice-Governor of the Ivanovo Region. He was the principal shareholder and president of the Soyuz Group (Ivanovo). Received training with Lucent Technology in the USA, participated in the President's program for the training of Russian managers in Canada. Graduated from the Academy of National Economy (MBA) and Ivanovo State Energy University.

Igor Litvak
Before 2003 he was Investment Director of the Delta Capital Fund. In 2000 and 2001, he was a Senior Expert of TDA Capital Partners Investment Fund (USA). From 1998 to 2000 he was an Investment Banker in the Mergers and Acquisitions Groups of Fleet Boston and Societe Generale Banks (USA). Prior to that he was Manager of Inter Group Holding Trade Company. From 1993 to 1996 he was Financial Adviser in Fahnestock and Gruntal Investment Banks (USA). He ran his own trading company from 1991 to 1993 called St Petersburg International in New York. He is a graduate of Leningrad State University and Tuck School of Business in the USA.

Alexander Savin
Before October 2003 he was Director of Investment and Banking Administration of Renaissance Capital Group. He supervised allocation of direct investments in the power industry and other industries and was a member of the boards of directors of Mosenergo and Kuzbassenergo. From 1992 to 2001 he was with consulting company Bain & Company in Moscow, London and Boston (strategic consulting in direct investments in various branches of the economy, developing strategies for the biggest international corporations). Also from 2000 to 2001 he was an external adviser to the Supervisory Board of the Alfa-Group consortium. A Graduate of Moscow State University and Harvard Business School he also studied at the Dalyan Institute of Foreign Languages (China) and at the Russian-American Independent University.

Georgy Sirota
2007-2008 – CEO of Investment Company Arlan, responsible for portfolio companies, new investments, and strategy. 2003-2007 – Vice-President, Managing Director Alfa-Eco and A1. Originated and managed large investment projects. 2002-2003 – Director at Delta Capital, private equity fund. 1999-2002 – Investment Banker in the M&A groups of Merrill Lynch and Lehman Brothers in New York. 1997 – Businee Analyst at American Management Systems (management consulting) in New York. Graduated from Leningrad State University in 1993, and from the University of Pennsylvania (natural sciences and business administration) in 1997. Received an MBA degree from the Harvard University.

Robert Topkaev
Has worked for Alfa-Eco since 2000 as New Business Development Manager of Ores and Metals Administration; Director of Administration for Acquisition of Property, Securities and Debt Instruments; and Senior Manager of the Investment Department. In 1999 and 2000 he was Deputy Branch Manager of Alfa-Bank. He was Deputy Director of Securities and Investments Administration, then a member of the Board of Kuznetskbusinessbank (Novokuznetsk) between 1992-1999. He graduated from the Siberian Metallurgical Institute (Novokuznetsk) and the Finance Academy under the Government of Russia.

Dmitri Chernyak
From 1999 to 2003 he worked as the Principal in TPG Aurora (Russian Fund of Texas Pacific Group) dealing with all investment process phases: analysis of projects, making deals, and management of portfolio companies. In 1997 and 1998 he was with Merrill Lynch in London and from 1995 to 1997 with ING Baring in Moscow. A graduate of the Finance Academy under the Government of Russia.

Alexey Shavrov
2005-2006 – General Director of the management company of Kaskol Group. 2004-2005 – General Director and Executive Board Chairman of Istok Group. 2002-2004 – Board Member and Deputy General Director of United Heavy Machinery Plants Group, supervised the nuclear business, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Atomstroyexport, Zarubezhenergoproekt and Oivavoima (Finland), and Member of the Board of Directors of Izhora Plants Company. 2000-2002 – General Director in Russia and CIS of Unibrasco S.A. (division of UBC Group, Switzerland). 1996-2000 – General Director Oleina S.A. (Switzerland) and Cereol Group (France-Italy) in Russia and CIS. 1992-1996 – Head of business division at Moscow Branch of Cargill Enterprises, USA. Graduated with Master of Arts in Economics degree from the Faculty of International Economic Relations of Moscow State Institute of International Relations Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia (MGIMO University).

Yuri Shirmankin
He has been with Alfa Group since its early days. Between 1997 and 1999 he was First Vice-President and Director of Oil Mining and Exploration Department of Tyumen Oil Company. He was Director of the Raw Materials Department with Alfa-Eco between 1994 and 1997 when annual turnover in oil, oil products and coal in the Company reached US$1 billion. From 1991 to 1994 he was Director of Zinkovskaya mine in Prokopievskugol Association (Kemerovo Region). A graduate of Leningrad Mining Institute.

Andrei Zemnitsky
Until July 2009 he served as Senior Vice President in the Business Development Department at Altimo Company, which holds the telecoms investments of the Alfa Group. From 2003 to 2005 he was a Project Manager at Alfa Group Corporate Center, where he held responsibility for the strategic and investment planning processes of the Group companies and provided expert counsel to Alfa Group companies regarding M&A. In 2003 he served as Deputy Director of the Business Development Department at telecoms operator VimpelCom where he was responsible for the development and implementation of acquisition strategy in Russia and across the CIS. From 2000 to 2002 he was a Vice President of the Investment Banking Directorate at the Russian Investors Company, participating in a vast number of M&A and consulting projects. From 1998 to 2000 he was an advisor to the World Bank (IBRD), dealing with international trade in financial and telecommunications services. He holds a Masters Degree in Economic Theory and defended a candidate thesis of economic science at the State University – Higher School of Economics in Moscow. He was awarded a CFA designation in 2004 and is one of the founders of CFA Association (Russia). He was born in Novosibirsk, Russia in 1976.