Programme

David Gray joined PwC in London in 1987 and has been with PwC Russia since 1994. On 1 July 2011, David was appointed as Managing Partner of PwC Russia. Prior to this appointment, he led PwC's Energy, Utilities and Mining practice in Central and Eastern Europe. David has been working in Russia for more than 16 years and has helped build a market-leading practice. He has a wealth of experience in the Russian market and in-depth knowledge of our firm, team and clients. With more than 20 years of experience in providing audit and advisory services for clients, David has worked primarily with energy sector companies involved in electric power generation and transmission, and oil and gas production and transport. He has led numerous engagements for leading Russian companies to audit their financial statements prepared under both International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and Russian Accounting Standards (RAS). David is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. He holds a degree in Geography from the University of Newcastle (UK) as well as a PhD in Economic Geography from the University of London.

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.

Dr. Xiang Bing is the Founding Dean and a Professor of Chinese Business and Globalization at Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (CKGSB), a leading business school in China. Established in November 2002, CKGSB is China’s first privately funded and faculty-governed business school. Dr. Xiang’s research interests include the relationship between state and business, the reform of state-owned enterprises, innovation and the role of the private sector in China. He is a leading authority on Chinese business, innovations in China, the globalization of Chinese companies and the global implications of the transformation of China. His writings and cases on these subjects are considered among the most influential in China. He is an independent board member of a number of companies listed in Hong Kong, mainland China and the US. He also serves as a member of the boards of trustees for The United Way Worldwide (US) and for Asia House (UK), as well as a member of the International Advisory Council of FDC business school in Brazil. He has worked with many leading companies to offer consulting and training in China and globally. These companies include China Mobile, China Telecom, Huawei Technologies, TCL, Midea, Petro China, CNOOC, IBM (China), GE (China), Siemens (China), Goldman Sachs (Asia), Clifford Chance, Cummins, DFS, Lenovo, Bank of China and China Railway Construction Corporation.

Mr. Pekka A. Viljakainen was born in Finland 1972. He studied engineering at the University of Technology in Lappeenranta. Thanks to his technical background, Mr. Viljakainen has for 25 years worked as an ambassador between business executives and technology teams. He started as an entrepreneur in 1986, by establishing Oy Visual Systems Ltd. (1986-2004). His company was merged with TietoEnator in 2000. Mr. Viljakainen is widely known by his nickname, Bulldozer. The nickname was earned by his reputation and track record for handling very complex governance and political topics inside large international organizations. During his corporate carrier he acted as trusted advisor for CEO’s and chairman’s specializing for the transformation related to enterprise digitalization and HR. After 26 years of his active Visual Systems-Tieto carrier, he left from operative roles on 2011 and focused to his non-profit leadership education project called www.nofear-community.com . Because of this he has been visiting speaker and advisor for several international corporations and faculties (like IMD Business School). In 2012 Mr Viljakainen was invited to act as senior advisor for the president of Skolkovo Foundation. Since that he has been acted as a founder and advisor for several nationwide entrepreneurship programs in Russian Federation. Russian StartupTour 2013-2014 (16 + 28 Russian cities) and StartupVillage concepts has key elements of those actions. During those programs he has build a strong network of entrepreneurs, local governmental institutions as well as universities across Russia and abroad. Mr Viljakainen is the member of Strategic Board of the Russian Postal Service and Board of Directors of Soprano Communications. Mr Viljakainen is also known as investor, business angel and advisor for several high-tech companies. Those activities are handled thru his family investment office called www.Aii.fi He is also well known supporter and philanthropic for several areas related to education, classical music as well as several social projects. His hobbies are helicopter flying PPL(H), cross country skiing, weight lifting and triathlon.

Born July 12, 1959 in Moscow. In 1981 he graduated from the Moscow Institute of Railway Transport Engineers, Computer Science, Technical Cybernetics Department, specialising in System Engineering. 1981–1986: Computer Centre at the All-Union Research Institute for Railways. 1986–1988: Director, Prosystem (an Austrian company). 1988–1992: Technical Director, Intermicro Joint Venture. 1992–1997: President, IBS. Since 1997: President, IBS Group. Anatoly Karachinsky develops strategies and investment policy for the IBS Group. He is actively involved in establishing a new information society in Russia and contributes a lot to the development of Russia’s economic IT potential. Member of the Council on Competitiveness and Entrepreneurship attached to the Government of the Russian Federation. Member of the Government Commission on High Technology and Innovation. Member of the Interdepartmental Commission on Science and Innovation Policy. Member of the Bureau of the Board of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, Chairman of the Union’s Committee on Professional Development and Professional Qualifications. Member of the Public-State Council on the System of Independent Appraisal of the Quality of Professional Education. Member of the Public Council attached to the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation. Member of the Council of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation on Federal State Educational Standards. Member of the Expert Council attached to the Committee of the State Duma of the Russian Federal Assembly on Information Policy, Information Technology and Communications. Member of the Expert Council on Electronic Education attached to the Committee of the State Duma of the Russian Federal Assembly on Education and Science. Member of the Expert Council on Information Technology attached to the Minister of Information Technology and Communications of the Russian Federation. Member of the Supervisory Council of Moscow Exchange public company. Chairman of the Board of Directors of Luxoft, an NYSE traded public company. Married, with two sons.

Oleg Kharkhordin is a graduate of the Department of Economics, Leningrad State University (1985). He studied for his doctorate at the Institute of World Economy and International Relations, USSR Academy of Sciences, and graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a PhD in Political Science (1996). Oleg Kharkhordin was a member of the Harvard Academy for International and Area Studies (1996–1998). He also taught as a visiting professor at the Department of Political Science at Yale University (2002), at the Department of Government at Harvard University (2002–2003), and at Sciences Po, Paris (2005, 2006, 2008). Oleg Kharkhordin is a member of the Presidential Council for Science and Education.

Andrei Sharonov joined Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO in September 2013 as Dean, having left the position of Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Economic Policy in Moscow City Government.Born in 1964 in Ufa, Andrei Sharonov graduated as an engineer from Ufa State Aviation Technical University and as a lawyer from Russian Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Russian Federation; in 1994 obtained his PhD in Social Studies.From 1989 to 1991 a Member of the Soviet Parliament, Congress of People’s deputies of the USSR; till 1996 chaired the Russian Federal Committee (Ministry) on Youth Affairs.In 1996-2007 occupied the positions of Deputy Minister, State Secretary and First Deputy Minister at Economics Development Ministry of Russian Federation.In the period from 2007 till 2010, Managing Director and the Board of Directors’ Chairman for Troika Dialog (Private Investment Company).Board Member for OJSC NOVATEK, ALROSA Group, Bank of Moscow OJSC, OJSC Sovcomflot, MC NefteTransService LLC and JSC Eco-System Management Company.As of December 22, 2010, by appointment of Moscow City Mayor Decree, Andrei Sharonov served at Moscow City Government as Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Economic Policy in charge of budgeting, industrial and city business development, regional rate regulations as well as competition and public retail and procurement policy, trade and services.Since 2012, Andrei Sharonov is heading Executive Committees of Moscow Urban Forum and Open Innovations Forum.Andrei Sharonov received 2009 “Aristos” Awards as “Independent Director” and “Director of the Year”; the Person of the Year in Business Reputation for 2012.Andrei Sharonov was awarded with the Order of Honour and granted the title of “Honoured Economist of Russian Federation”.