Slobodin Mikhail Yuryevich

Slobodin Mikhail Yuryevich

Education

In 1993 graduated from economics department of the Ural State University with the diploma with honors. Candidate of Technical Sciences.

Career

In 1992 - 1996 worked in Sevuralboksitruda (after entered into SUAL), as the departmental engineer of foreign economic relations in the beginning, then at a position of the deputy chief of finance division.

In the years ahead worked in the different companies of the Renova group.

Since 1996 — the representative of Renova holding in the Ural region, the project manager on business organization on Polevskoy the cryolite plant. In 1999 — 2000 — the Deputy General Manager for Economics and to finance of Nizhniy Tagil Iron and Steel Works.

In 2000 — 2001 — the director of the department of regional development of Renova.

In 2001 — 2002 worked at a position of the First Deputy CEO on finance and economy of Irkutskenergo.

In 2002 it is appointed to the position of the director of the department of development of electric power generation business of Tyumen Oil Company, then — the vice president for power of TNK-BP Management consolidated company.

From December, 2002 to 2010 directed IES-Holding — structure of Renova holding controlling stakes of the large energy companies: four TGC and also gas-distributing company "Gazeks" and "Russian Communal Systems".

Since February, 2011 worked as the executive vice president for gas and power supply of TNK-BP.

CEO of VimpelCom

Since October 14, 2013 became the CEO of VimpelCom company, having replaced the previous CEO Anton Kudryashov. On this post Slobodin began to change the policy of the company for customer service. Paid much attention to real-life communication with clients on social networks, having become the famous blogger.

Suspicions of corruption

On September 5, 2016 the Investigative Committee reported that Mikhail Slobodin is a person involved in criminal case about bribes.

According to the investigation, Slobodin and his colleagues Evgeny Olkhovik (as of September, 2016 - the group managing director of Renova companies) and Boris Vaynzikher (as of September, 2016 - the CEO of PJSC T Plus), being heads of KES Ltd during the period from 2007 to 2014, transferred to management officials of the Komi Republic (to persons involved in criminal case about criminal community Gayzera) as a bribe money and other property for establishment of the most profitable rates for the heat and electric power and also providing other privileges and creation of comfortable conditions of implementation of a business activity in the territory of Komi.

Money was transferred into checking accounts of the companies specified by bribetakers. Total amount of the funds transferred as the monetary reward was more than 800 million rubles. Also, according to the available arrangement, 38% of the stocks of JSC Komi energosbytovaya kompaniya worth not less than 100 million rubles belonging to offshore company, affiliated with KES Ltd, by the conclusion of a number of consecutive transactions carried over offshore company, control over which was exercised by management officials of Komi.

According to the investigators, during Olkhovik and Vaynzikher's guide to their instructions as the illegal monetary reward on checking accounts of the companies affiliated to bribetakers also 89 million rubles were transferred according to not less than 177. As of September 5, 2016 Evgeny Olkhovik and Boris Vaynzikher were delayed. Mikhail Slobodin's location was established.

Dismissal from VimpelCom

In the evening on September 5, 2016, several hours later after the message of Investigative Committee of Vimpelcom whose child organization is the Russian company "VimpelCom" (a brand Beeline), announced immediate resignation of Slobodin. Shell Morton Jönsson, the former head of the Russian division of Telenor^[1] became his successor].

Federal search

The former CEO of VimpelCom Mikhail Slobodin is put on September 7, 2016 on the federal wanted list on the case of bribes to the leadership of the Komi Republic. About it, TASS reports, it was announced at a court session in Syktyvkar at the choice of a measure of restraint to the co-owner of Renova company Evgeny Olkhovik who is also a defendant in the case about bribes.

Mikhail Slobodin was warned about the preparing special operation of FSB on arrest of persons involved "affairs of power engineering specialists". He managed to purchase the plane ticket and to depart to Nice. When the airplane already was in air, in Moscow large-scale searches and arrests of all involved in "case of power engineering specialists" were carried out. The Investigative Committee of Komi with assistance of field investigators of FSB searched offices of Renova group and the power company of T plus under control of it (former IES-Holding).

On September 5, having seen the first messages in news about participation of the CEO of VimpelCom in corruption case, the ex-wife Oksana wrote it the message with a question: "What has happened?". In reply Slobodin sent SMS: "Oksan, you can expect only yourself now".

In Moscow the staff of Investigative Committee (ICR) and Federal Security Service (FSS) delays the deputy head of Management "T" of Head department of economic safety and to anti-corruption (Main Directorate for Economic Safety and Counteracting Corruption) of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the colonel Dmitry Zakharchenko. He is accused of taking of bribes and to counteraction to law enforcement agencies. In particular, at a search in one of the related apartments cash for the amount of p8 of one billion were detected. The investigation assumes that it is a part of funds for the amount of p26 of billion stolen from the Note bank. Earlier at the Note bank the license was revoked, and its management is arrested. Besides, Zakharchenko is suspected of the help to the high-ranking Russian Investigative Committee officers who in the summer of 2016 were delayed on a charge of taking of a bribe from the criminal leader Zakhar Kalashov (Shakro Jr.)^[2].

"I" did not steal and lived adequately""

The former head of VimpelCom Mikhail Slobodin wrote in March, 2017 in the blog on Medium about circumstances as a result of which he is accused of bribery to officials in Komi^[3][4].

"A problem in this case that I, unlike a huge number of high-profile cases concerning the corrupted officials, worked all the life in private business. Received white and, generally, rather big salary which was paid to me by shareholders for specific results.<...> From this salary all taxes are paid the state. Generally, all frankly. And me neither to hide, nor it was not necessary to hide. Never. Because everything is transparent and is fair" — he said.

Slobodin also emphasized that he never thought to take rollbacks.

"Steal most from themselves, being a shareholder of the company which I head, any money earned in such a way are not necessary to steal in the companies which to me were entrusted by shareholders   —   the lost reputation" — he noted.

According to the former head of VimpelCom, he always conformed to the rule "live adequately, reasonably, without facade and a glamour".

"Slobodin stole nothing. Because earned everything vbely, paid all taxes and slept peacefully. Prior to the known events. But lived adequately. Without glamour and excesses. Invested money in logic of the pragmatic investor, but not the criminal" — he concluded.

The former head of VimpelCom Mikhail Slobodin who left the company after inclusion in number of persons involved on the case of bribery to the leadership of Komi assured that he really was going to return to Russia and to make to law enforcement agencies necessary explanations. However further succession of events forced it to change the mind.

"A set of legal proceedings concerning my colleagues gave a clear understanding of where the situation rather moves where it is conducted. Respectively, also my vision of what I need to do in this situation changed" — Slobodin in the blog on the Medium platform wrote.

2019: Creation of Agenda.Video company — "Uber for video"

At the beginning of August, 2019 it became known of creation |of Agenda.Video company which Mikhail Slobodin develops with other former top managers of VimpelCom. Read more here.

Notes