Bank Review (Moscow) – April 19, 2004

They were awarded for their personal contribution to the development of the country

The best people of the country were honored at the Patriarchal Chambers in the Kremlin. For the third year in a row, those who achieved remarkable success in the public, government or business sphere, received the Person of the Year national award. This time, there were two bankers among the 34 winners – Alexey Golubkov, Chairman of the Board of the Sudostroitelny Bank, and Alexander Popov, Chairman of the Board of ROSBANK.

The Person of the Year national award was instituted by RosBusinessConsulting. The independent panel of judges, including about 50 politicians, statesmen, reporters, scientists and art figures, award people who made a significant contribution in the development of the country. They attract public attention to the best people of Russia, thus achieving unity and understanding between the public, business and the state.

Alexander Popov, Chairman of the Board of ROSBANK, was named the Financier of the Year. He was awarded “for the implementation of large scale projects and the development of the bank’s long term financial policy on expansion to regional and foreign markets”. ROSBANK’s profits increased 60-65 percent compared with 2002. The bank’s credit ratings are improving: the Fitch rating agency revised its outlook on ROSBANK’s rating to positive. Last year, the bank took out a syndicated loan of $30m. ROSBANK increased its presence in the regions by opening new offices in Moscow and St. Petersburg, and a subsidiary - BELROSBANK - in Belarus. The most important decision by the shareholders was the decision to merge ROSBANK and the OVK banking group into a single financial institution. In scale and complexity, the merger will be unprecedented for the Russian banking system.

Alexey Golubkov, Chairman of the Board of the Sudostroitelny Bank, was named the head of the most dynamically developing bank. He was awarded “for effective management and the introduction of high tech in the sphere of banking services”. Over the past seven years, the bank has showed impressive growth, turning into a universal credit organization and one of Russia’s largest 50 banks. Sudostroitelny Bank’s balance sheet total was about RUR 14.3bn in 2003, almost twice as high as a year earlier. The bank’s management saw new market opportunities in the development of new technologies, in the first place. SBANK.ru system, one of Russia’s highest quality online services, has been developed and put into operation. Sudostroitelny Bank was one of the first Russian banks to introduce an advanced model of relations with clients. Today, the bank is a financial manager and consultant for many of its corporate clients.

The Person of the Year national award marks personal achievements in both business and public and political spheres. Those who showed the best achievements are awarded Grand Prix. This year, Grand Prix was given to Alexander Veshnyakov, Chairman of the Central Election Commission of Russia, for his personal contribution to the establishment of democracy in Russia. Sergey Maslov, President of the Transnefteprodukt company, received Grand Prix for professionalism and innovations in the sphere of oil transportation in Russia. And Alexander Tkachev, Governor of the Krasnoyarsk region, was awarded Grand Prix for his contribution to the development of the Russian political system.

Finance Minister Alexey Kudrin was named Person of the Year in Politics for his efforts to increase the country’s gold and foreign currency reserves and reduce Russia’s foreign debt. President Putin’s aide Sergey Yastrzhembsky was named Person of the Year in State Government, apparently due to his contribution in the improvement of Russia’s image and his peacekeeping activities. Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov was called the best regional leader, due to his effective administration of the region and progress in realizing Moscow’s economic potential.

Bolshoi Theater General Director Anatoly Iksanov was named Person of the Year in Culture thanks to his innovative approach to management in the sphere of culture, while Nobel Prize winner Vitaly Ginzburg received the Person of the Year in Science award, due to his fundamental contribution to the world science. Nikita Kirichenko was posthumously awarded the Person of the Year in the Media for his contribution to the development of business journalism in Russia.

Businessmen who distinguished themselves in corporate management, production development and financial and investment activities, received awards in the business category. Gazprom Chief Executive Officer Alexey Miller and Lev Khasis, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Perekriostok Trading House, were named Businessmen of the Year. There were also two winners in the Top-Manager category: Marat Aynetdinov, General Director of the Rossiya insurance company, and Valery Okulov, General Director of Aeroflot-Russian Airlines. Troika Dialog President Ruben Vardanian was called the best investment banker. Oleg Tinkoff, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Tinkoff company, was named the best production manager for developing a unique product - the first ultrapremium-class Russian beer.

Special prizes were awarded for personal contributions to the restoration of Russian industries. Farkhad Akhmedov, President of the Nortgaz company, was awarded for his contribution to the development of the fuel and energy sector. Timur Timerbulatov, President of the KONTI Group, received the award for his contribution to the development of the construction industry, and Gennady Sklyar, General Director of the Russian Television and Radio Broadcasting Network state company, - for his contribution to the development of the telecommunications industry. Vladimir Kovalsky, President of the Masterdent chain of dental clinics, was awarded for his contribution to the development of the healthcare industry, and Alexey Kobtsev, General Director of the Rusagrocapital holding company, received the award for his contribution in the development of the agricultural industry. Aton Capital General Director Alexander Kandel was named Discovery of the Year for his achievements in corporate governance and efforts to enhance the company’s position on the Russian and global financial markets. Ivan Sergeyev, the head of the Main Industrial and Commercial Services Department of the Diplomatic Corps of the Russian Foreign Ministry, won the award in the Business Reputation category for his achievements in the industrial, diplomatic, public and charity spheres. Two special categories of the Person of the Year national award reflect new requirements in the business sphere –social responsibility. Konstantin Zolotukhin, General Director of the SpetsVysotStroy company, won in the Promotion of Social Responsibility in Business category. Dmitry Bakatin, General Director of Sputnik Group and Vice President of the Aleksey Jordan Cadet Corps Assistance Foundation, was awarded for his contribution in the revival of the best traditions in the education and training of Russia’s young generation. Viktor Balala, the Justice Minister of the Transnistrian Republic, was awarded for the development of a legal framework for international relations. Veronika Borovik-Khilchevskaya, President and owner of the Sovershenno Sekretno company, received the award for her commitment to journalistic traditions.