Programme

Haas alumna, Managing Director of DFJ VTB Capital Aurora, a venture group specializing in investments in the developing world. Alexandra invests in a broad range of companies targeting enterprise, material science, alternative energy, and industry innovation and has grown a variety of product and services start-ups and emerging technology companies in the U.S, Russia and the CIS. Alexandra was named among Top 20 most influential men and women in Bay Area finance in 2015 (Worth). Alexandra is a President of the Global Technology Symposium, a premier investor conference on global emerging markets held annually in Silicon Valley since 2003, and was a private sector Co-Chair of the U.S. – Russia Innovation Working Group. She has spent her career connecting Bay Area investors with companies in emerging markets, supporting international cooperation and global talent. She is a board member of several tech companies, including Grid Dynamics, VisionLabs, and Rolith. Previously Alexandra was a founder and managing director of Landbridge Capital LLC, an investment firm targeting U.S.-based companies commercializing Russian technology. Prior to forming Landbridge Capital, Ms. Johnson was CEO of Libritas, Inc., a venture backed provider of Information Technology (IT) products and managed telecom services for small, medium and Fortune 500 Corporations. Libritas was acquired in 2001. Alexandra received an M.A. with honors from the Far Eastern State University, Vladivostok and a Ph.D. from University of St. Petersburg. She also has an M.B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley.

Born March 21, 1957 in Leningrad. 1979 – graduated from Leningrad State University (Department of Mathematics and Mechanics) specializing in Applied Mathematics. 1979–1988 – Research Assistant, Junior Scientific Researcher, Scientific Researcher of the Institute of Theoretical Astronomy of the Russian Academy of Sciences. 1986 – successfully defended his Candidate of Sciences thesis in Physics and Mathematics, USSR Academy of Sciences. 1984–1995 – Lecturer, Associate Professor of the Department of Computational Mathematics at Leningrad Polytechnic Institute, Faculty of Physics and Mechanics. 1988–1992 – Senior Scientist of the Leningrad Institute for Informatics and Automation of the USSR Academy of Sciences. 1991–1995 – Co-Founder and Chief Technical Officer of AstroSoft Company, St. Petersburg. 1995–1996 – Consultant of Microsoft Consulting Services, Microsoft Middle East (Dubai). 1996–1997 – Senior Consultant / Head of Practice, Microsoft Consulting Services, Microsoft Eastern Europe. 1997–1999 – Head of Accounts Department, Microsoft Representative Office in Russia, Microsoft Eastern Europe. 1999–2003 – University Relations Manager, Microsoft Research Lab (UK). 2003–2005 – Head of Government Relations, Microsoft Representative Office in Russia, Microsoft Central and Eastern Europe. 2005–2007 – Chief Strategy Officer, Cabinet of the Chairman of Microsoft in Russia and CIS Countries, Microsoft Central and Eastern Europe. 2007–2009 – General Director of Software Development Centre of EMC Corporation in St. Petersburg. Since April 2009, he has held the position of Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Management Board of RVC OJSC.

<p> Born in Moscow, Russia on 27 August 1979.Graduated from the State University “Higher School of Economics”, Diploma in Economy and Business Administration.Since 1995 in Healthcare and Pharmaceutics.R-Pharm Founder. President of All-Russia Business Association “Delovaya Rossiya” (“Business Russia”), actively participating in the improvement of investment climate in the Russian Federation and the establishment of the regional investment standard.Member of the Economic Council under the President of the Russian Federation.Member of the Presidential Council for Priority National Projects and Demographic Policy.Member of the Expert Council under the Government of the Russian Federation. Member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation, Head of Commission on Investment Climate.Representative (public ombudsman) of the Commissioner of the Presidential Council on the protection of the rights of entrepreneurs on issues related to the protection of the rights of foreign investors.Board-member and Co-chairman of Committee of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs on pharmaceutical and medical industry.Co-Chairman of the National Rating CommitteeMember of the Public Council under the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation (pharmaceutical, medical equipment and technologies).Member of the Supervisory Board of the Autonomous Nonprofit Organization "Agency for Strategic Initiatives". </p>

Alexander Galitsky is the co-founder and Managing Partner of Almaz Capital Partners. Almaz Capital Partners has offices in Moscow, Russia and Menlo Park, CA, and is backed by Cisco Systems, EBRD and IFC. He is a well-known innovator, entrepreneur and investor in Russia/CIS, Europe and the USA. Prior to Almaz, Alexander formed the ICT investment practice at Russian Technologies, one of the first venture capital funds in Russia, and made a several private successful investments. His past and current investments include: Parallels, Yandex, QIK (sold to Skype), Vyatta (sold to Brocade), Acumatica, Jelastic, NavMaps (sold to TeleAtlas), 2Can, Alawar, AlterGeo, SJLabs (sold to VocalTec), EverNote, GridGain, WikiMart, etc.Prior to his investment career, he founded and headed five successful high-tech companies as CEO, including ELVIS+, TrustWorks Systems (sold to Hamsard), EzWIM (sold to TMT Ventures), ELVIS Telecom (sold to Telenor), NPC ELVIS. He specialized in WiFi, Virtual Private Network technology and product development on the Global market in partnership with Sun Microsystems and was a pioneer of the Russian Internet industry in 90s.

Vadim Makhov: Chairman of the Board of Directors of the United Heavy Machinery Plants. Graduated from the State Management Academy. Candidate of Sciences (Economics), has an MBA from the University of Northumbria Newcastle Business School. Mr. Makhov has considerable practical experience of working in Severstal in a number of management positions, where he moved from Deputy Head of the Economic Research Laboratory to Chairman of the Strategy Committee of the company’s Board of Directors. Over his 15 years of working for Severstal, he handled a variety of projects, including restructuring the company’s US and Western Europe assets. As Deputy General Director for strategy and business development, he was responsible for the company’s development, was in charge of new business spheres and initiated many projects, including establishment and development of a corporate university. Since 2009, he has been a professor of the Moscow School of Management Skolkovo. Author of a course on “Innovations”.

Education: 1992, Moscow Medical Academy with distinction, c 2006 - Doctor of Medicine. Work Experience: 1991 – 2006, ROSNO Insurance Company since 2003 CEO and Chairman of the Board; 2006 – 2008, Mobile TeleSystems President and Chairman of the Board, member of the Board of Directors; 2008 – 2011, JSFC Sistema President and Chairman of the Management Board; 2011 – 2012, JSFC Sistema, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors; 2010 – 2012, “RussNeft” Oil Company, Chairman of the Board of Directors; 2012 – 2013, VTB OJSC, member of the Supervisory Board. Leonid is a member of the Government Expert Council of the Russian Federation.

Nikolay Pryanishnikov is one of the youngest and most successful top managers in Russia. He took the position of the President of Microsoft in Russia, on January 1, 2009. Driving the growth to double sales over the next three years Mr. Pryanishnikov considers to be the major goal of the Russian Subsidiary. Earlier, Mr. Pryanishnikov was an Executive Vice President – General Director for Russia, and then Executive Vice President for International Business Development at VimpelCom. Before joining VimpelCom, he also worked in telecom industry, in Moscow Cellular Communications. Under Pryanishnikov’s direction a number of projects were implemented that have significantly changed the mobile communications market in Russia. These include the launch of “Phone in the box for 49$” after which a new era of mobile communications started, and regional development of VimpelCom, i.e. construction and successful launch of networks and activities in more than 70 Russian regions.

Born on July 17, 1949, in Leningrad (now St Petersburg). 1971 – graduated from Zhdanov Leningrad State University; Doctor of Physics and Mathematics. 1971-1991 – junior researcher, laboratory head, deputy director for research, leading researcher at the Ioffe Physical Technical Institute of the Soviet Academy of Sciences, Leningrad. 1991-1993 – Vice President of Advanced Technology Centre, St Petersburg. 1994-2001 – Director of Regional Foundation for Scientific and Technological Development, St Petersburg. From 2000 – Chairman of the Academic Council of the Centre for Strategic Research North-West Foundation. 2001-2002 – Deputy Minister of Industry, Science and Technology of the Russian Federation. From June 2002 – First Deputy Minister of Industry, Science and Technology of the Russian Federation. From December 2003 – Acting Minister of Industry, Science and Technology of the Russian Federation. March 9, 2004 – appointed Minister of Education and Science of the Russian Federation. Since May 21, 2012 – Aide to the President of the Russian Federation. State award – Honorary Diploma of the Government of the Russian Federation.

Joel Schwartz is Senior Vice President and General Manager, Global New Business Development at EMC Corporation. In his global role, he initiated EMC’s R&D efforts in Brazil, Russia, India, China, Singapore and Mexico as well as numerous investments/acquisitions in Israeli companies and joint ventures in China. Also included in his responsibilities is EMC’s Consumer/Small Business Products Division (Iomega). Mr. Schwartz joined EMC in 1999 from Data General Corporation where he served as the Senior Vice President and General Manager of the CLARiiON Division as well as Vice President, Worldwide Sales and Marketing. Mr. Schwartz was also the senior EMC executive responsible for the Dell/EMC relationship and now the Lenovo/EMC relationship. Mr. Schwartz is a member of the Board of Directors of LifeImage, an early stage, Boston-based company providing cloud-based solutions for sharing patients’ medical images. Additionally, Mr. Schwartz is an advisory board member of the Boston-based Russian Venture Fund. Mr. Schwartz holds a BSEE and MSEE from Case Western Reserve University and also attended the Executive Management Program at Stanford University.