Business programme

For the past year businesses have been operating under new restrictions and requirements imposed to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. The commercial sector is adapting to the new normal by transitioning to remote working. The government has not only taken steps to support small and medium sized enterprises, but has also worked to develop a digital business ecosystem to address the challenges of our times, including a new corporate relations system. How is the digital ecosystem making it easier and safer to do business? Is remote working already the standard option? What services enabling contracts to be signed and implemented remotely might be offered in the future? How should this new economy be taxed, and what social protection is available to self-employed people working remotely? How can self-employed people compete for government contracts? What skills and new knowledge do businesses need in order to compete? Could an infrastructure offering affordable turnkey IT services for remote working be put in place, and if so, how would it look? How has the coronavirus changed corporate regulation, including with regard to new terms concerning bankruptcy?

Moderator
Alexander Ivlev, CIS Managing Partner, Deputy Regional Accounts Leader for Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe & Central Asia, EY

Alexander Ivlev

CIS Managing Partner, Deputy Regional Accounts Leader for Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe & Central Asia, EY

He is actively involved in the work of the Foreign Investment Advisory Council in Russia. At the 2007 World Economic Forum, Alexander was entered in the list of Young Global Leaders, and in 2009 he was included in the top 100 young leaders in the Russian Presidential Reserve. He is vice president of the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on Russia.
Alexander is a member of the Expert Council of the Open Innovations Forum, the Executive Committee of the Krasnoyarsk Economic Forum, the Organizing Committee of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum and the Public Council of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation. He leads the National Business Initiative’s road map Improving the quality of the regulatory environment for business.
Alexander supervises the Entrepreneur of the Year program in Russia.
Alexander has over twenty years of experience in strategic development, client service and government and corporate affairs.
He is a graduate of Moscow State Linguistic University (1991) and has an EMBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business (2003).

Panellists
Svetlana Balanova, Chief Executive Officer, National Media Group
Tatyana Ilyushnikova, Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation
Vladimir Pravdivyy, Chief Executive Officer, Avito
Aleksandr Sobolev, Director for Strategy and Business Development, MegaFon
Artem Sokolov, President, The Association of Internet Trade Companies (online)
Julia Solovieva, Managing Director, Google Russia

Svetlana Balanova

Chief Executive Officer, National Media Group

Born on October 5, 1970 in Moscow, Russia.

In 1992, she graduated with honours from the Moscow State Linguistic University, named after Maurice Thorez.

From 1993 to 1999, she held various positions in sales, marketing and logistics at 3M Russia.

From 1999 to 2001, she served as the financial director of 3M Russia.

In 2000, she received an MBA from the Open University Business School, UK.

From 2001 to 2004, she was the director of 3M Russia’s Six Sigma projects (management of business processes) in Eastern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.

From 2004 to 2008, she was the head of 3M’s Ukrainian office, and served as CEO of 3M Ukraine.

From 2008 to 2010, she was the CEO of 3M Russia.

From 2010 to 2011, she was the president of 3M’s “electronic monitoring” international business, and the COO of 3M Attenti (Israel).

From 2012 to 2020, she was the CEO of IBS.

As of 2019, she is a member of the supervisory board of the non-banking credit organization, National Settlement Depository.

That same year, 2019, she also completed studies at the Institute of Directors (UK) as part of the “IoD Chartered Director” programme.

She is a certified director (The Diploma in Company Direction from the British Institute of Directors), and a member of Russia’s Association of Professional Directors (AND).

Achievements and awards

From 2014 to 2019, she was regularly recognised among the best leaders in the IT industry and included in the annual Russia’s Top-1000 Managers ranking compiled by the Russian Managers Association (AMR) and Kommersant publishing house.

In 2012, 2013 and 2014 she was included in the ranking of Company magazine, “Top 50 Most Influential Women in Russian Business”.

In 2013 she won the “TIAW World of Difference 100 Awards”. The award was handed out by The International Alliance for Women (TIAW), which brings together more than 35,000 business women and organisations from six continents and is one of the largest international umbrella associations for women in business.

In 2009 she was a member of the board of directors of the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia.

In 2009 she was also included in the list of 500 managers who make up the administrative reserve under the patronage of the Russian President.

In 2007 she was included in the ranking “Best Top Managers of Ukraine” (the ranking was compiled by Companion magazine).

Proficient in English, German and Italian.

Tatyana Ilyushnikova

Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation

Vladimir Pravdivyy

Chief Executive Officer, Avito

Aleksandr Sobolev

Director for Strategy and Business Development, MegaFon

Alexander joined the MegaFon team in November 2012 as Head of Strategic Partnerships and Projects. Before that, he had provided strategic consulting services at Boston Consulting Group, a leading international consulting firm, and Strategy Partners Group, a major Russian company. He has also co-founded several tech startups.
Alexander graduated from Moscow State University (MSU) with a degree in Computational Mathematics and Cybernetics and a diploma from MSU’s Innovation Business & Entrepreneurship Lab.

Artem Sokolov

President, The Association of Internet Trade Companies

Candidate of Political Sciences, Attorney, Manager, RANEPA lecturer, Chair of the Academic Council of the Retail Management Master’s Programme at HSE University

Education
 Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA) (2012);
 Moscow City Government University of Management (2006)

Career
 From 2006 to 2013 worked in the Moscow City Government (Control Directorate of the Mayor of Moscow; Department of Science, Industrial Policy and Entrepreneurship of the City of Moscow);
 From 2013, headed the GR block of Coca-Cola Hellenic;
 From 2015, served as the Executive Director of the Association of E-commerce Companies (AKIT);
 In 2018, elected President of AKIT;
 From 2019, Lecturer for the Digital Transformation in Business Master’s Degree Programme and the Digital Technologies in Commerce Bachelor’s Programme, Institute of Industry Management, RANEPA;
 From 2020, Chair of the Academic Council of the Retail Management Master’s Programme at HSE University.

Industry experience
 Member, Working Group on Creating a Development Strategy for Trade, Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation;
 Member, Working Group on Remote Alcohol Sales, Federal Service for Alcohol Market Regulation;
 Member, Council on Developing the Digital Economy, Federation Council, Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation;
 Member, Expert Council, State Commission for Counteracting the Trafficking of Industrial Products;
 Member, Expert Council on Increasing Retail Market Competition, Federal Anti-monopoly Service of the Russian Federation;
 Member, Expert Council on Developing the Children’s Product Industry, Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation;
 Member, Expert Group on Production, Sales, and Marking of Jewellery and Other Goods Made of Precious Metals, Federal Assay Chamber;
 Member, Expert Council on the Legislative Measures Facilitating the Development of Financial Technologies in the Russian Federation, State Duma Committee on the Financial Market;
 Member, Expert Commission on Evaluating Software for Inclusion on the List of Russian Software that Must be Installed in Advance on Individual High-Tech Devices, Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation;
 Expert, Regulatory Guillotine Working Group on Cash Register Regulations;
 Member, Regulatory Guillotine Working Group on Commerce and Consumer Rights Protection;
 Member, Regulatory Guillotine Working Group on Precious Metals and Stones;
 Expert, Regulatory Guillotine Working Group on Pharmaceutics and Medical Devices;
 Expert, Regulatory Guillotine Working Group on the Manufacture and Sale of Alcohol Products;
 Expert, Regulatory Guillotine Working Group on Communications and Information Technology;
 Council Member, Russian Jewellers' Guild;
 Member of the Board, NPP OPORA;
 Member, Committee on Supporting Entrepreneurship in the Extraction, Production, Processing, and Sale of Precious Metals, Precious Stones, and Resulting Products, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation;
 Member, Council on E-commerce, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation;
 Member, Council on Consumer Market Development, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation;
 Member, Council on IT and Digital Economy Development, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation.


Awards
 Jubilee Medal from the Governor of Moscow Region for Contributing to the Development of Commerce (2020)
 Certificate of Honour from the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation for Significant Contributions to the Development of Trade and Many Years of Diligent Work (2018)
 Letter of Acknowledgement from the Deputy Mayor of Moscow on Urban Policy and Construction for Active Participation in the Capital’s Public Life and Personal Contributions to the Urban Development of Moscow (2019)
 Federal State Statistics Service Badge for Active Participation in the Russian National Census (2002)

Julia Solovieva

Managing Director, Google Russia

Director of Business Operations, EMEA Emerging Markets, Google Russia.

Julia joined Google Russia in January 2013.

She oversees countrywide commercial operations, setting the long-term strategy and overall growth.

Prior to joining Google, Julia Solovieva was Executive Vice President and President, Russian media holding ProfMedia (2007–2012), where she was responsible for asset management, corporate governance and overall strategy and management of the holding.

From 2003 to 2006 she was Corporate Development Director, Mobile TeleSystems OJSC.

From 2001 to 2003 she lived in the Netherlands and was an Associate at the strategic consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton.

Julia Solovieva is an honoured graduate of Moscow State Linguistic University, Faculty of Foreign Languages, and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School (Boston, USA).

She is a member of the High-Potential Management Personnel Reserve, a programme announced by the president of Russia which brings together thousands of the most talented Russian managers.

Front row participants
Dmitry Komissarov, General Director, MyOffice (online)
Savva Shipov, Deputy General Director - Director for Digital Transformation, URALCHEM

Dmitry Komissarov

General Director, MyOffice

Savva Shipov

Deputy General Director - Director for Digital Transformation, URALCHEM

Born in 1980 in Kaliningrad. Graduate of Moscow State Law Academy. From 1999 Shipov worked in the Ministry of Federation Affairs and national and migration policy. From 1998 he held positions of the lawyer, head of the legal service and Deputy Director of the center for legal support of local government. In 2007, he became the President of the center for public reforms AHO. At the same time, he was an expert on a number of commissions under the President. In 2008 he held the position of the Deputy Director, then Director of the Department for development of federal relations and local government of the Ministry of regional development of Russia. Since 2010 he was the Director of the Department of State Regulation of the economy of the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia. From 2011 till 2016, he headed the Federal Accreditation Service. In June 2016, he was appointed the Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation. From 2019 till 2020 he held the positions of the State Secretary – Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Economic Development. Candidate of Juridical Sciences.