Business programme

The pandemic and lockdown have created the conditions for growth in e-commerce, with even the most conservative consumers beginning to master online shopping services. By the end of 2020, 40% of Russians were going online to purchase items they had previously only bought in stores. Will the boom in e-commerce in Russia prove to be a pandemic-era phenomenon, or could it reach new levels of growth after the removal of COVID restrictions? Can Russia establish a leading global position? Are Russia’s infrastructure and regulatory framework capable of supporting the development of the e-commerce market nationwide? Will logistics experts and marketplaces provide a breeding ground for new players in the SME sector?

Moderator
Irina Parfentieva, Deputy Chief Editor, RBC

Panellists
Maxim Akimov, Chief Executive Officer, Russian Post
Tatyana Bakalchuk, General Director, Wildberries
Anton Buzdalin, General Director, eApteka
Oliver Kraftsik, Supply Chain Director Europe, ASOS (online)
Ilya Kretov, General Manager Global Emerging Markets, eBay
Veronika Nikishina, General Director, Russian Export Center
Maxim Oreshkin, Aide to the President of the Russian Federation
Dmitriy Sergeev, Chief Executive Officer, AliExpress Russia
Daniil Shuleyko, Head of E-сom and Ridetech, Yandex

Maxim Akimov

Chief Executive Officer, Russian Post

Born on March 1, 1970 in Maloyaroslavets, Kaluga Region

Education:
1994: Tsiolkovsky Kaluga State Pedagogical University
Degree: History and socio-political disciplines
2003: professional retraining course at Moscow International Institute of Econometrics, Informatics, Finance and Law
2019: postgraduate course at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration
PhD (History)

Career:
1994-1996: general director of AOZT Fineart
1996-1997: Chairman of the regional commission on the securities market
1996-1997: chairman of the regional commission for the securities market, Administration of the Governor of the Kaluga Region.
1997-1999: chairman of the Securities and Stocks Committee, Kaluga Region Governor's Administration
1996-1997: chairman of the securities and stock market committee, head of the economy department - deputy director of the department, and deputy director of the economy and industry department of Kaluga Region
1999-2002: chief specialist, head of the department for work with the regions in the Kaluga Region, representative office of the Regional Commission for the Securities Market of Russia in the Central Federal District in the Kaluga Region
2002-2004: First Deputy Chairman of the State Property Committee of the Kaluga Region
2004: Minister of Economic Development of the Kaluga Region
2004-2007: deputy city mayor, first deputy city mayor of Kaluga, mayor of Kaluga
2007-2012: Deputy Governor, First Deputy Governor of Kaluga Region
2012-2013: Deputy Head of the Office of the Government of the Russian Federation
2013-2018: First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Government Office of the Russian Federation
2018-2020: Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation
February 2020-present: General Director and Chairman of the Management Board of Russian Post
Member of the Board of Directors of Russian Post, RVC company, member of the Supervisory Board of the Higher School of Economics, Digital Economy ANO, member of the Board of Trustees of the Skolkovo Foundation, RANEPA, RFS, member of the Board of RSPP.
Owns no shares or stakes in subsidiaries or affiliates of Russian Post

Tatyana Bakalchuk

General Director, Wildberries

Anton Buzdalin

General Director, eApteka

Oliver Kraftsik

Supply Chain Director Europe, ASOS

From the role of shift Head of Department to the position of Site Manager with responsibility for several thousand employees in strategic roles with European or global responsibilities, Oliver Kraftsik learnt logistics and operations from the ground up and has experienced and helped design many aspects of the daily ops business. With a background in Business Management and Law, Oliver Kraftsik switched early from a sales driven career towards e-commerce operations.
After six years at Amazon where he worked in five different locations, he led the Amazon Outbound team who for the first time in Europe shipped more than 1 million units within 24 hours. In 2016, he and his team broke Amazons Outbound world record that stands until today. After the promotion to General Manager at Amazon and running an Amazon Robotics warehouse, Oliver decided to take on a broader role and became Group Head of Operations for The Hut Group (THG). This role gave him responsibility for warehouses in Australia, Asia, Poland and the USA. In 2019 he joined the fast-fashion e-commerce giant ASOS. He’s now responsible for the whole customer journey in continental Europe, i.e. Operations, Delivery Solutions and Customer Returns. Over several locations in Europe, Oliver Kraftsik looks after 3.000+ people.

Ilya Kretov

General Manager Global Emerging Markets, eBay

Ilya Kretov is the General Manager for eBay on global emerging markets. He was appointed to this role in February 2020. Previously, Kretov held the position of General Manager for Russia, Israel and Emerging Europe at eBay. He joined eBay in 2013 as the company’s Marketing Director. Prior to that, Ilya worked for Google and Mars. He has more than 10-year experience in marketing and developing brands of major Western companies. Kretov is also a lecturer in marketing at the RMA business school.

Veronika Nikishina

General Director, Russian Export Center

Panel member (Minister) of commerce in Eurasian Economic Commission since February 2016.
Born 29 April 1968. PhD in Economics, presented a thesis on Managing the access of Russian goods to foreign markets in modern conditions.
Prior to appointment as member of Commission had held a position of assistant to the First Deputy of the Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation.
Veronika Nikishina held management positions in the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, including Deputy Director of the Department for Trade Negotiations, Head of the Department of American Countries and the Department for Coordination, Development and Regulation of Foreign Economic Activities.
After 17 years of working for the Ministry of Economic Development, Veronika Nikishina has extensive experience in identifying and eliminating various trade barriers, applying trade protection and veterinary, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, as well as experience in international negotiations.
Currently Veronika Nikishina supervises a number of key areas for the Eurasian Economic Union, such as customs tariff and non-tariff regulation, the establishment of preferential trade regimes with third countries (free trade area), and the application of protective measures by the Eurasian Economic Union.
From February 2020 - General Director, Russian Export Center.

Maxim Oreshkin

Aide to the President of the Russian Federation

Born on July 21,1982 in Moscow.
2002
Bachelor’s Degree in Economics, Higher School of Economics.
2004
Master’s Degree in Economics, Higher School of Economics.
2002–2006
Economist, 1st class; Leading Economist; Chief Economist; Sector Head at the Balance of Payments Department at the Central Bank of the Russian Federation (Bank of Russia).
2006–2010
Senior Manager; Director; Managing Director at Rosbank.
2010–2012
Head of the Analytical Unit at Crédit Agricole Corporate & Investment Bank Russia and the CIS.
2012–2013
Chief Economist for Russia at VTB Capital.
2013–2015
Director of the Long-term Strategic Planning Department at the Russian Ministry of Finance.
2013
included in the management personnel pool under the patronage of the President of the Russian Federation.
2015–2016
Deputy Minister of Finance of the Russian Federation.
2016–2020
Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation.
2017
Since March 14 – Presidential Special Representative for Trade and Economic Cooperation with Japan.
2018
Chairman of the Board, at the Centre for Strategic Research.
2020
Since January 24 – Aide to the President of the Russian Federation.
Married, with one child.

Dmitriy Sergeev

Chief Executive Officer, AliExpress Russia

Daniil Shuleyko

Head of E-сom and Ridetech, Yandex

Born in 1988. In 2011 graduated MEPhI’s Automation and Electronics Department.
2010 – 2015 – cofounder, product and marketing director, Delivery Club. Joined Yandex in 2015 as marketing director for Yandex.Taxi, and later, in February, 2018 became managing director of Yandex.Taxi. He is responsible for service development strategy, growth, expansion and new business areas. Since May, 2019 – general director of Yandex.Taxi.

Front row participants
Sergey Belyakov, Managing Director, Ozon
Alexander Brechalov, Head of the Udmurt Republic
Mikhail Kuchment, Co-owner, Hoff

Sergey Belyakov

Managing Director, Ozon

Sergey joined Ozon in 2021 to oversee strategic projects and initiatives tied to the Company's e-commerce development.
A longtime civil servant, Sergey worked at the Russian Ministry of Economic Development from 2008, going on to serve as Deputy Minister from 2012 to 2014. Prior to joining the Ministry, he worked at the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs. In 2016, Sergey was elected President of the Alliance of Pension Funds, an association of non-governmental pension funds. From 2018 to 2021 he headed the Russian Association of Retail Companies (AKORT).
Sergey holds a degree in Law from the Academy of the Federal Security Service of Russia.

Alexander Brechalov

Head of the Udmurt Republic

In 1994, he graduated with academic distinction from the Krasnodar Highest Military School (Military Institute) named after General of the Army S.M. Shtemenko. In 1999, he graduated from the Moscow State Academy of Law named after O.E. Kutafin. In 1994-1996 he was a deputy chief of the custodial service at the Chkalovskiy garrison (special air division). In 1996-1999 – lawyer at TV-6 Media.In 1999-2000 – lawyer at the Alfa Bank.In 2001-2002 – head of the legal division at the Uniastrum Bank.In 2002-2003 – director of the legal department at the Uniastrum Bank. In 2003-2006 – Director General at the LLC “Uniastrum Consulting”. In 2006-2011 – President of the Executive office at the LLC “VBO Consulting”.In 2011-2013 – President of the LLC “VBO Consult”.In 2013-2014 – President of the Russian National Non-Governmental Organization for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses “OPORA RUSSIA”. Since 2014 until 2017 – First Vice-President of the Russian National Non-Governmental Organization for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses “OPORA RUSSIA”. According to the Fund “Institute of Economic, Social and Political Studies”, he is at the top of the ISEPI-2016 List of the Most Promising Politicians and Public Figures in Russia. On 10 September 2017 Alexander Brechalov was elected head of the Udmurt Republic