Soldatenkov Sergey Vladimirovich

Biography

Was born  on July 16, 1963 in Leningrad. In  1986 graduated from the Leningrad institute of aviation instrument making majoring in Radio engineer. 


After the termination of institute and military service worked as the service engineer at the Leningrad Admiralty consolidation.

1994: CEO of Delta Telecom

Since the beginning of the 1990th years entered into Leonid Reiman's group and works in structures of "the St. Petersburg operators".

In  1992 became the chief executive of JSC Impeks-gruppa, in 1993  — the CEO of the Russian-British enterprise JSC ARS.

Since  July, 1994  — the CEO of Delta Telecom Ltd, the first cellular company of Russia working in NMT-450 standard.

1999: Deputy director general Telekominvest

In  July, 1999 it is transferred to a position of the deputy CEO of JSC Telekominvest. which chairman of the board of directors at that time was Leonid Reiman.

2000: CEO North-West Telecom

After Reyman became the Minister of Communications and the chairman of the board of directors of Svyazinvest holding, Soldatenkov in 2000 headed entering into JSC Petersburg Telephone Network holding (after reorganization  — JSC North-West Telecom).

2002: Vice president of "GROS consolidated company"

Since  2002  — the vice president of GROS Consolidated Company LLC  — the company which had to become consolidation center of assets of the "St. Petersburg" group of operators.

2003: CEO MegaFon

From  2003  to April, 2012 — the CEO of OJSC MegaFon.

Time which Soldatenkov spent in a chair of the CEO of MegaFon was difficult for the company. Initially Soldatenkov came for the purpose of carrying out the IPO company, however instead shareholders of MegaFon were involved in the long corporate conflict. In the summer of 2003 of Alfa Group redeemed 25.1% of stocks of the operator that caused resistance of the major shareholder of MegaFon - "the St. Petersburg group of operators".

Judicial proceedings around a packet of Alpha in MegaFon lasted four years, and Soldatenkov, actually, was on the side of "St. Petersburg". Having got beaten, in 2008 "the St. Petersburg group" sold the packet to Alisher Usmanov who de facto became the major shareholder of the operator. Between Usmanov and Alpha contradictions began again: Alfa Group wanted to integrate the packet with a share of the third shareholder of MegaFon - the Scandinavian TeliaSonera, but Usmanov disputed this intention in court. Soldatenkov at the same time continued to direct the company.

Friction between shareholders first strongly disturbed MegaFon. The company did not come for the IPO. It was more difficult to it to attract loan financing, than to her competitors — to MTS and VimpelCom. It led to lag of MegaFon from competitors in Moscow and regions, did not allow the operator to carry out full expansion. Besides, MegaFon after other mobile operators entered the market of fixed connection, and as Soldatenkov recognized later, the future of this direction in the company is not defined.

However, afterwards such situation helped only MegaFon. Without being engaged in expensive acquisitions, at MegaFon the smallest was formed among operators of "the big three" a debt load. And as shareholders could not agree about dividend payout in any way, MegaFon let available funds to development of network. At the expense of it MegaFon became the leader in area 3G and the mobile Internet and also moved VimpelCom from the second place on revenue from mobile business and to number of cellular subscribers. However, the purpose which was said by Soldatenkov — to become the leader in revenue and to overtake MTS — did not manage to be implemented^[1].

2012: Early termination of the contract in MegaFon, the chairman of the board of directors

On April 20, 2012 it became known that the extraordinary meeting of shareholders of MegaFon made the decision on early termination since April 20, 2012 of the contract with the CEO of the company Sergey Soldatenkov. The deputy director general Ivan Tavrin became the new head of the company. At the same time the Board of Directors of MegaFon recommended Soldatenkov's candidacy for entry into council.

Soldatenkov's contract expired in the summer. Earlier he said that he does not intend to prolong it. Many market participants assumed that the head of MegaFon will pass into the Ministry of Communications after formation in May of the new structure of the government. Soldatenkov assured that he is not going to work at civil service.

On May 24, 2012 shareholders of MegaFon company at an annual general meeting elected Sergey Soldatenkov in Board of Directors of the company. In June the Board of Directors unanimously elected Sergey Soldatenkov to a position of the chairman of the board. Earlier the position of the Chairman was held by Aimo Elokholma.

In March, 2014 the Board of Directors of OJSC MegaFon at a meeting on Wednesday re-elected as the chairman the former CEO of the company Sergey Soldatenkov.

2016: Appointment as the CEO of MegaFon

On April 27, 2016 MegaFon announced Sergey Soldatenkov's appointment to a post of the CEO of the company. It replaced Ivan Tavrin who decided to resign "to focus on development of the current and new business projects and also work in Boards of Directors of USM Holdings which shareholder he is, and the companies entering it".

Sergey Soldatenkov headed MegaFon again

Sergey Soldatenkov's candidacy was proposed for a position of the CEO of MegaFon by Board of Directors of the company. Officially he headed the operator only after the solution of shareholders on annual meeting which will take place on June 30, 2016. Till this time Soldatenkov was the acting as the CEO of MegaFon. Ivan Tavrin resigned the authority on April 29, 2016.

According to Soldatenkov, his experience should help it "save the high level of competitiveness and profitability of the company, to identify new points of growth and to provide stable additional value for our shareholders".

For me huge responsibility that during this period, difficult for the Russian economy, shareholders invited me to direct one of key strategic assets of holding. During operating time in the head of the Council of directors of MegaFon I purchased deeper understanding of joint-stock strategy, tasks and priorities which will give me the chance effectively to manage further successful development of the company for the benefit of shareholders, - Soldatenkov heading MegaFon from 2003 to 2012 said.

From April, 2012 to April 27 the 2016th Sergey Soldatenkov was the chairman of the board of directors of MegaFon. At this position it will be replaced by Ivan Streshinsky, the head of the USM Advisors company managing assets of holding of Alisher Usmanov and partners of USM Holdings including more than 56% of stocks of MegaFon.^[2]

2017: Hearing about departure from the job of the CEO of MegaFon

The CEO of MegaFon Sergey Soldatenkov can leave the company this fall, Vedomosti with reference to the sources close to the operator wrote in September, 2017. One of them noted that weak financial results, a situation with which Soldatenkov could not correct after the appointment in 2016, are the reason.

According to a source, now the management of MegaFon considers the possibility of appointment to the post of the CEO someone with a new view on the industry - it is possible that the representative of Mail.Ru Group.

USM, however, said that information on Soldatenkov's leaving is not true, he also did not begin to confirm these data.

The press service of MegaFon denies information on possible leaving the company of the CEO published today in article of the Vedomosti newspaper. The facts provided in it have under themselves no reasons and are not true. Formulation of the question that Sergey Soldatenkov can leave the company in connection with discontent of shareholders with its activity looks especially strange in the context of the latest events. On August 30 MegaFon provided financial results of the activity for the second quarter 2017 which were positively apprehended by an investment community and shareholders of the company: stocks of the company after release of the reporting rose 6.6% (as of closing of last trade day in London). For the first time for the last five quarters service revenue and revenue from mobile services stopped the decrease. Positive dynamics was shown also by OIBDA indicator for the first time for the last 7 quarters, having increased by 3.6% year-on-year, also the subscriber base grew. Profitability of business of the operator based on a half-year remains rather high in the market.

2018: The solution to leave a post of the CEO of MegaFon

On October 11, 2018 in MegaFon company announced TAdviser that Sergey Soldatenkov made the decision to leave the company to the term of the expiration of the contract. The candidacy of Gevork Vermishyan holding a position of the chief executive of the company was proposed for a post of the CEO. This personnel solution became a logical step within implementation of digital strategy which, according to representatives of MegaFon, will provide continuous development of the company and succession in the management and also will allow "preserve traditional values and strong corporate culture" MegaFon.

The future begins with you, and I remember how it really began because we created it the hands. I work in the company 20 years - it is a little less, than the most telecom industry. By the standards of our business — the whole life. All this time we were on a front line of innovations: the first started products and services, surprised clients and competitors, were not afraid to change the industry, and the most important — to change. The modern market requires continuous development and new managerial thinking, and any serious business should have a succession plan in the management. I consider, we managed to implement it strategically truly, in a friendly key, traditional for the company. I want to thank Board of Directors and shareholders for opportunities which gave me and my command — Sergey Soldatenkov commented on the solution.

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