Yashin Valery Nikolaevich

Yashin Valery Nikolaevich

The head of directorate on asset management of Sistema Telecom.

On the CEO's post Svyazinvest Valery Yashin, first was one of key persons in group of "the St. Petersburg operators", at the end of career sharply disaccorded with them and was actually expelled from the company.

Yashin who in private conversations expressed discontent and hinted at some unseemly stories occurring behind his back never came out with public revelations^[1].

Biography

Was born on June 21, 1941 in Leningrad.

The destiny did not spare big Leningrad family of mother of V.N. Yashin – in the first months of blockade her father and the brother died of hunger. Soon the new trouble came: the bomb got to the house. Zoya Nikanorovna with mother and the newborn son moved to the Petrograd Side, to the room of the husband. Once Nikolay Petrovich (father) managed to transport them several cans of stewed meat and crackers from the officer ration. For some time it helped them to survive. As well as the small piece of horse-flesh occasionally got by Zoya Nikanorovna's brother Victor who served in a militia. In March, 1942 Yashin succeeded to transported on "Road of Life" on other side of Ladoga. But Zoya Nikanorovna with the son went to evacuation some: her mother starved when they were already going to get on the train...

At the end of April Zoya Nikanorovna and Valery Yashin reached Nalchik. The suitcase of things taken in the road was the invaluable capital: its contents were exchanged for products and provided an opportunity to survive. When Germans approached the North Caucasus, Zoya Nikanorovna with the baby on hands managed to leave the city. Having done a bit of traveling over the country in search of a temporary haven, in the summer of 1942 Yashin settled in the Tatar village in the Ulyanovsk region. Mother began to work at school. As Russians in the settlement were not any more, Valery Yashin pronounced the first in life words in Tatar. In the fall of 1945 the father who came back from war by some miracle found for family and transported to Leningrad. On the Petrograd Side they lived in the communal flat not for long – directed the father to serve to Belarus, to Baranovichi. Then transferred to Pleshchenitsy, of course, and mother with Valery went with it. Nikolay Petrovich still taught at school of junior aviaspecialists, mother worked as the teacher. In Pleshchenitsakh Valery went to the 1st class of the Russian school four-notch where children from the military camp were carried for 3 kilometers – in the winter on sledge, in the summer by the machine.

School days

In 1950 offered the father teaching work in Military and air academy of A.F. Mozhaysky in Leningrad, and Yashin finally moved to the city on Neva. The father in parallel studied on evening department of teacher training college. Mother got a job at school young workers on Bolshoy Avenue of Petrograskaya Storona where she worked to pension. In Leningrad Valery went to the 3rd class. Soon it had to replace school: Yashin moved to the room, big on the area, on Zelenin Street. In January, 1953 they gave birth to the second son Pyotr.

Valery studied well. Having graduated from school seven-year-old No. 51, completed secondary education at school No. 73 on Bolshoy Avenue of Petrograskaya Storona (by this time Yashin moved to Bolshaya Pushkarskaya Street).

Petrograd telephone exchange

Having received the school-leaving certificate, carried documents in electrotechnical institute, but the first examination – mathematics – handed over on the three. This failure Valery could not forgive himself: mother was a mathematician, and he well knew and loved this subject. Having taken away documents, got a job in the Petrograd telephone exchange.

It is unlikely even in the most courageous imaginations he could assume then that communication will become its profession for the rest of life and moreover: he will happen to pass in industry tables of ranks to the highest steps, to become one of the most effective managers in the country in the most dynamic, successful industries of modern Russia – information technologies, telecommunications, communication.

On August 9, 1958 became in its first working afternoon. Having begun a working career the pupil of the mounter of payphone group, Valery Yashin in two weeks received the 1st category of the mounter. Then the 2nd, 3rd... From the first salary bought the bicycle, it very much was useful to it for trips to work – its section was far from the building of a node – near Kirov Stadium.

Having worked year on the Petrograd telephone exchange, Yashin arrived on evening department of the Leningrad electrotechnical institute of communication of M.A. Bonch-Bruyevich (nowadays State university of telecommunications). By this time the father employed it to himself in Military and air academy of A.F. Mozhaysky – the mechanic-pnevmatikom in laboratory of a supersonic produv.

1960: Military Service

However study had to be interrupted in 1960 – Valery served complete 40 months conscription service in army. The appeal matched deployment in troops of separate rocket divisions of tactical appointment which were given to divisions. So Yashin got the cadet to school of junior specialists of rocket troops of tactical appointment in Luga, near Leningrad. The school was supervised by the Warsaw Treaty Organization, she was quite often visited by large military leaders. Selection in school was tough: almost all colleagues of Yashin were his fellow countrymen Leningrad residents with education not below an average. Was also students and also children from families of military much. Here Yashin studied year. The system of the Moon rockets was object of studying of cadets (rockets 3R-9, 3R-10, 3R-11; the launching unit based on a floating tank).

In September, 1961 the cadet Yashin goes to Group of the Soviet troops in Germany – at first to Dresden, to the headquarters of the 1st Guards tank army, and then to a position of the deputy commander of the launching unit of a separate rocket division who was based on the territory of the former concentration camp Tsetkhayn under Riza. By then in a division two batteries were deployed, Yashin got in a third, forming.

Yashin's service in GSVG matched construction of the well-known Berlin wall for the fall of 1961. However, on Valery Nikolaevich's memoirs, in view of the highest privacy of the carried-out works it was only possible to guess it on the introduced regime of high alert. Its first experience of the management of people fell on this period. From 7 people of calculation who were under its supervision many were more senior than the chief.

1963: Institute

In December, 1963, having demobilized, Valery Yashin was recovered at institute and, having got a number of disciplines, was transferred to the 1st rate of full-time department. Behind his shoulders there was a certain know-how, the authority of the soldier of the person by this time. At last, he was more senior than all the fellow students and actively joined in public life of institute, was elected the secretary of faculty committee of Komsomol. Annual participation in student's construction groups became one of the brightest events of student's life for Yashin: after the 1st rate – Podberezye of the Novgorod region the ordinary fighter, afterwards – on a virgin soil (The Kokchetav region, Kazakhstan) the commissioner of linear group, the commander of linear group, the commissioner of district group. For high-powered work he is awarded with the medal "For Mastering Virgin and Laylands", the Certificate of honor of the Supreme Council of the Kazakh SSR. The last for those times promised in the future a considerable privilege: pension of republican value.

1968: Return to the communication hub

In 1968 Valery Yashin returned the certified specialist on the Petrograd communication hub. Having come to a position of the engineer on cable networks of workshop of linear constructions, he soon becomes the senior engineer and after his chief went for increase, – the acting as the shop manager. However in 1971 from Georgia (The Leningrad telephone network supervised the Tbilisi telephone network) after the long business trip the previous shop manager returns, and Yashin quits the job. By the invitation of builders – colleagues on a virgin soil he settles the chief power engineer of UNR-31 of trust-87 of Glavleningradstroy. In April, 1972 to it suggested to return on the Petrograd communication hub as the shop manager of linear constructions. In this position Valery Nikolaevich worked three years. Its workshop became one of the best in the Leningrad telephone network. At it work on setting of big main cables and cables of trunk lines under air pressure was finished.

1975: BAM

The important change in measured rise on steps of an office ladder of the Leningrad telephone network happened in 1975. Time called Valery Nikolaevich together with old friends-tselinnikami on BAM: build "The Leningrad city of BAM" – Severobaykalsk. Work as the chief power engineer of Lenbamstroy trust, and later (after renaming of trust into a mobile Mobile Mechanical Division) – the deputy chief of a mobile Mobile Mechanical Division Lenbamstroy. The organization of power supply and ensuring with the power equipment production base, the settlement, building sites, providing a telephone and radio communication, and afterwards and questions of material security belonged to its duties. All these tasks were successfully carried out. BAM became the fine university of life, gave good work experience in extreme conditions when case needs to be started literally from scratch and to lick into shape. At last, mass of purely human, everyday impressions for many years.

1978: Leningrad telephone service

In May, 1978 after contract term Valery Yashin returned to Leningrad and was appointed the chief of linear service of the Leningrad City Telephone Service (LCTS). In a year in its service record new record appeared: "deputy chief of LGTS on capital construction". To provide level of responsibility and scales of work of the person who received this position it is worth looking back. In the 1970th years in the city it was annually put into operation of 40 thousand phone numbers, and about half a million Leningrad residents stood in a queue on installation of phone. Thousands from them were in the status of "potential subscribers of network" for 10–15 years. The solution of the task of increase in the number capacity by 100 thousand numbers in a year set by the management of the city in many respects depended on activity of the one who supervises construction of networks. It was necessary not only to provide to Yashin linear constructions with the equipment, but also to personally control construction of buildings for new automatic telephone exchanges. As a result, the boundary of 100 thousand phones in a year was subdued. By 1990 the number of people on the waiting list was reduced to 70 thousand, and their two years later there were 30 thousand. Replacement of an obsolete equipment was in parallel conducted.

in the early nineties on many St. Petersburg automatic telephone exchanges sewing workshops, joiner's workshops and other non-core productions appeared. It was entrusted to V.N. Yashin as the deputy chief of LGTS "understand a situation". It was necessary to pay visits on telephone exchanges and to literally disperse these "enterprises", in detail explaining them to creators that machines, sawdust, threads – not the most favorable neighbourhood for exchange equipment.

When the former head retired, 9 candidates applied for a vacant chair. The Minister of Communications of the Russian Federation V.B. Bulgak proposed V.N. Yashin's candidate for this position. Valery Nikolaevich is elected by works meeting to a post of the chief of LGTS. The order of the minister which legalized the decision of labor collective on Valery Nikolaevich's election as the chief of LGTS is dated on April 15, 1992. By May 1 the new head of the St. Petersburg network began staff changes, for example replaced the management of a departmental motor depot where banal theft prospered. Seven years V.N. Yashin one of the main telephone companies of the country – St. Petersburg directed. He became the conductor and the coauthor of the resolute changes happening those years in the industry. He had to work directly with the new power of the Northern Capital of Russia is A. Sobchak, V. Putin, V. Yakovlev, A. Kudrin, G. Gref and others which are well-known in Russia and it is far beyond its limits.

As one of the initial shares the new head of LGTS arranged the financial relations between city nodes and the head company, carried out privatization of LGTS.

Works on privatization of the LGTS state enterprise began after a release of the Decree of Russian President No. 721 of July 1, 1992 "About organizational measures for conversion of the state enterprises to joint-stock companies". On July 14, 1992 the order on the Leningrad city telephone network created the commission on privatization, in July-September fundamental documents of Society are prepared (the charter, the plan of privatization, the appraisal report of property, etc.). On April 8, 1993 the order of SPC of the Russian Federation No. 613-r "About carrying out privatization of LGTS" is signed. On May 6 the same year the Registration chamber of the mayor's office of St. Petersburg grants Svidetelstvo o registratsii aktsionernogo obshchestva otkrytogo tipa Petersburg Telephone Network (OJSC PTS), on May 31 in financial management of city administration the share issue of OJSC PTS (in 1996 OJSC PTS is transformed to JSC PTS) is registered. V.N. Yashin becomes the CEO of OJSC Petersburg Telephone Network. On April 20, 1994 the first shareholder meeting at which Valery Nikolaevich Yashin was elected the chairman of the board of OJSC Petersburg Telephone Network took place.

As a result of incorporating LGTS an action of labor collective (preferred shares of A type) made 18.1% of authorized capital. Each employee who worked at the enterprise of 20-30 years received 300–500 actions. And such there was much.

All new automatic telephone exchanges put into operation were equipped only with the modern digital equipment. Relay nodes of automatic telephone exchange of the decade-step and coordinate systems were replaced with digital. In the same time new technologies for installation and repair linearly - cable constructions were implemented. Special attention was paid to the actions promoting decrease in operating costs. The most demonstrative of them can call implementation of an automated system of collecting, the processing, the analysis and information storage removed from counters of thermal energy. Implementation of this system in 1997 allowed to save more than 6 billion not denominated rubles.

In 1991 the Russia's first company of mobile communication Delta Telecom appeared. The operator of wire communication PeterStar, the company of paging communication "Ned Paging", "The St. Petersburg payphones" and others became other joint projects. In total with participation of LGTS and its "successors" about 20 different companies of communication were formed. One of the most important projects – Northwest GSM company, a basis of present MegaFon. Other major achievement – construction of the cable plant "Neva cable" together with the Finnish side. V.N. Yashin remembers: "After the collapse of the USSR most the enterprises making a cable appeared outside Russia. We for weeks could not correct damage – there was no piece of a cable even. It was necessary to build hastily in 15 months own plant in terrible conditions of complete disorder of economy. He earned in May, 1993 and at cost provided the needs of a city telephone network for cable products. Today the plant produces about 12% of all city copper cable released in Russia, in particular the best – with hydrophobic filling which was laid earlier only by power engineering specialists. V.B. Bulgak, at that time the Minister of Communications of the Russian Federation, always emphasized that it is necessary to develop domestic enterprises. We tried to act in this way. Pulled out people from the perishing productions and gave them work at our plants and the enterprises. Heads of the ministry not always agreed with us, urged to be engaged "", operator, case, but our progress convinced them. Then they with pleasure came to cut ribbons at grand openings..." In 1997 with the participation of "PTS" the Russian-Japanese enterprise for production of switches was constructed.

Creation in 1994 of Telekominvest holding thanks to which rapid development of new communication services in North-West Region began became a wreath of process of attraction of the foreign investments in the St. Petersburg communication. Telecommunication management reached new qualitative level, V.N. Yashin became the chairman of the board of directors of Telekominvest. Further he headed as the chairman Association of operators of telecommunication of North-West Region of the Russian Federation which was engaged in coordination of tariff policy, interaction with local authorities, license questions. Stock exchange market of stocks of JSC PTS headed by V.N. Yashin began to form in 1994-1995. Since September, 1995 ordinary shares of JSC PTS were among the first 30 corporate papers admitted to trading and included in calculation of the consolidated stock index on the Russian Trading System stock exchange.

As you know, August crisis of 1998 especially strongly struck the companies of the real sector working in the field of the high and expensive technologies. JSC PTS under the leadership of V.N. Yashin managed to bear the first blow and to cope with problems. The anti-recessionary program developed in the short time allowed "PTS" to minimize losses.

1999: Svyazinvest

In October, 1999 Valery Nikolaevich Yashin is invited to work to Moscow and elected the CEO of the telecommunication holding JSC Svyazinvest, largest in Russia. Valery Nikolaevich headed JSC Svyazinvest not in the most safe time for the company. By October, 1999 the enterprises of the industry not up to the end overcame effects of August crisis of 1998. The accurate development strategy of holding was not. Management of the dependent companies did not meet the requirements of the moment. The rates operating in the industry frankly constrained development of child operators of Svyazinvest, covering, at best, a half of cost value of services. Debt obligations before equipment suppliers prevailed over dependent societies of holding. The western investors preferred to deal with so-called alternative telecom operators: they were not encumbered with social loading, their rates were not regulated by the state.

V.N. Yashin remembers: "In spite of the fact that already then we thought of reorganization of holding, at that moment we had to solve the urgent problems connected first of all with financial collapse and the debt of the enterprises of holding. It was necessary to decide how to find this way out. Against the background of an unstable financial position I was concerned also by other question: as salaries are paid to the staff of the enterprises, we had more than 90 companies. Literally for the second day after the appointment I began to ring regional to telecommunication where people for two-three months did not get paid, to talk to directors how to solve this problem. I had a tough conversation with the management of electrocommunications. I spoke at once if within one day salary is not paid – can leave. Probably, they understood that excuses cannot be, means were, and salary was paid next day".

By 2000, i.e. for a year of its management of the company, on JSC Svyazinvest holding all key financial and economic indicators improved. Debt repayment and an investment program in 2000 were for Svyazinvest the main priorities. Despite inflation processes, the Joint-stock company managed to keep the advancing growth of tariff income before costs, the downward tendency of arrears to the budget was outlined, debts to equipment suppliers were considerably reduced, investment programs are recovered.

In 2001 under the leadership of V.N. Yashin serious reorganization of JSC Svyazinvest began. Valery Nikolaevich remembers: "For me even before my appointment as the CEO of Svyazinvest was obvious that dissociation of the operators entering into holding – one of the basic reasons constraining its development. In Russia 89 administrative regions, and in each of them there was the company of electric communication. To manage effectively such large number of the enterprises from the uniform center it was almost unreal. But the main thing – in Svyazinvest company was very difficult to attract investments: the majority, except for ten working in the large cities, had a small capacity of networks, and cash flows are insignificant. I in every way tried to propagandize the idea that it is necessary to integrate operators in larger companies which number should not exceed ten".

In 1999 when V.N. Yashin became the head of Svyazinvest, need of consolidation became even more obvious. The idea found specific outlines and found support not only among colleagues operators, but also in government circles and bodies regulating the industry. In many respects thanks to efforts of the CEO of holding the join conditions which arranged everything concerned parties were developed: state, foreign and Russian investors, management and labor collectives. The initial stage included consolidation of the enterprises of telecommunication within the certain region. Trial steps in this direction were taken in 2000 when the enterprises of telecommunication and telegraph in three cities – Rostov, Yekaterinburg and St. Petersburg were joint. Positive experience of intraregional associations laid the foundation for successful implementation of the next stage – creations of seven interregional companies: Center, Northwest, Volga, North Caucasus, Urals, Siberia, Far East. "We selected the strongest companies from the region – both on economic, and on technology indicators, – V.N. Yashin says, – and around them grouped other regional companies". The corporate management system was in parallel reformed. As a result of reorganization the quality of management of the companies considerably improved, the liquidity of actions and market capitalization increased, the competitiveness of telecom operators grew, current costs were reduced, conditions for attraction of cheap financing and an opportunity for concentration of financial resources on the priority directions of development of communication appeared.

Since June, 2006 – the board member of JSC Svyazinvest. V.N. Yashin was the chairman of Boards of Directors of Sankt-Peterburgskiye taksofony Ltd (since January, 1998), JSC Telekominvest (1995–2006).

The chairman of the board of directors of JSC Rostelecom (2000-2006), JSC National Payphone Network (since 2001), the board member of JSC Rostelecom (since 2000), JSC CenterTelecom (since 2006), JSC North-West Telecom (since 2002), the board member of JSC MGTS (since 2000), Football Club Zenit Ltd (since 1996), the chairman of the board of fund of Telecom-Soyuz Non-state pension fund (since 1998), the chairman of the board the board member of "Russian Fund of History of Communication" Fund (since 2002), the Supervisory board of Insurance private company "Medexpress" (since 2004), the cofounder of public fund "Our City". Valery Nikolaevich is elected the academician of the International academy of communication.

Awards

V.N. Yashin is awarded with the medals "For Mastering Virgin and Laylands", "Veteran of Work", the medal "Resident of Besieged Leningrad". To it the honorary title "The master of communication" is given. On November 19, 2003 V.N. Yashin is awarded the order by "For Honour and Valour" and a figurine of Gold Olympe of the winner of the main All-Russian public award "Russian National Olympus" in the nomination "Transport. Construction. Communication".

Leisure

V.N. Yashin since youth is fond of sport, especially track and field athletics (in school days had the 2nd discharge). At one time trained at Valentin Sergeyevich Panferov – the champion of RSFSR on a marathon of 1944 with which together worked at the Petrograd communication hub. In army played soccer, basketball, volleyball. Loves ski walks, chess.

Family

The father is Yashin Nikolay Petrovich (1914–1998). Mother is Yashina (Grokholov) Zoya Nikanorovna (1914–1990). The spouse is Yashina Irina Yurevna (1948 rozhd.). The son is Yashin Stanislav Valeryevich (1965–1999). Daughters: Natalya (1970 rozhd.), Olga (1968 rozhd.). The granddaughter is Alice. The grandson is Valery.

V.N. Yashin's ancestors on the fatherly line it is from Buturlinsky district of the Nizhny Novgorod Region. The grandfather died in 1914 on fronts of World War I. At that time to his son Nikolay (Valery Nikolaevich's father) only several months were performed. In 7 years Nikolay Yashin lost also mother: she died in 1921 when on Volga hunger raged. Having remained the orphan, he some time of cores at relatives, then it was given to orphanage. The cousin Alexey who lived several years with family in Petrograd, in the semibasement apartment on Lakhtinskaya Street learned him about it. Alexey and his wife Claudia took away Nikolay to themselves. So, in the late twenties V.N. Yashin's father appeared in the city on Neva. Soon it was determined by the master's pupil on the Znamya Truda plant on the Petrograd Side. Nikolay Yashin combined work with study on workers' faculty, entered military aviation college, ended it in the summer of 1938 and got to serve as the airfield technician on arms on Mountain airfield near Sestroretsk.

In 1939 Nikolay Yashin married Zoya Grokholova. She was from big family. Her parents came from rather poor merchants. In due time they purchased the house on the outskirts of St. Petersburg where they moved with all family from Staraya Russa of the Novgorod region. When Zoya Nikanorovna and Nikolay Petrovich got married, she graduated from Teacher training college of Herzen. In the same 1939 Nikolay Yashin was directed to serve on airfield to Lithuania. The wife went with it. In 1941 several weeks prior to childbirth she went to mother to Leningrad. In the evening on June 21, before the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, at Yashin the son Valery was born.

Airfield in which the father served Hitlerites destroyed by bombing during the first hours wars. In the same night he received the first (and, fortunately, the last for all war) wound when he together with others ran under continuous bombing through the airfield to the survived airplanes. The pilot of a regiment succeeded to lift several machines in air. Nikolay Yashin appeared in one of them: the companion-pilot at own risk (the airplane was one-seat and could not fly up from an overload) took him in a cabin, having arranged somehow behind a seat. They were lucky – it was succeeded to reach Pskov.

Nikolay Petrovich Yashin underwent all war. In 1943 got into the crew of Kosciusko which became afterwards Army Polish and until the end of 1945 served as the instructor in school of junior aviaspecialists. Finished war in the captain's rank. Has several Polish awards.

Notes