Business programme

Asian powers, including China, Japan and India, have formed significant partnership with practically all of the developed countries over the past 50–60 years. For Russia, that faces a possible economic reorientation and a search for new commodity and investment markets, its turn to the East is of particular relevance today. With its enormous investment potential, the Russian Far East deserves special attention: minerals and renewable natural resources, abundance of highly skilled personnel and quality higher education institutions, as well as rapidly developing technology sector. At the same time, the markets of the East are still a "terra incognita" for Russian business in many ways. For instance, a number of their essential features, such as the regulatory requirements of Asian investors in terms of sustainable development, are still not entirely understood – even though it is one of the key factors that affect the ability of a company or region to increase its attractiveness in the eyes of potential partners. How interesting are the Asian markets to Russian business? How can Russian companies, which until now have sought to be sustainable primarily for the West, change their vector to the East in search of new markets and investments? What are the specifics of these markets in terms of sustainability infrastructure, including the non-financial disclosure requirements of the Asia-Pacific stock exchanges as compared to the LSE, NYSE and NASDAQ? What has Russian business already encountered in real life when turning to the East? How may the current geopolitical tensions in the world, causing a breakdown of existing supply chains and logistical difficulties, impact the development of business with Asian countries? What needs to be done by the Russian government to attract investors from Asian countries and are there examples of support for foreign investors, particularly in the Far East?

Moderator
Andrey Sharonov, Chief Executive Officer, National ESG-Alliance

Andrey Sharonov

Chief Executive Officer, National ESG-Alliance

In 2013 was appointed Dean of SKOLKOVO Business School and from 2016 to 2021 he was President of the Business School. Prior to this, he served as Deputy Mayor in the Moscow Government for economic policy.
Mr. Sharonov was born in Ufa in 1964. He graduated from Ufa State Aviation Technical University and the Russian Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Russian Federation; holds a Ph.D. in sociological science. From 1989-1991 Mr. Sharonov was People’s Deputy of the USSR, and until 1996 was Chairman of the State Committee of the Russian Federation for Youth Affairs. Between 1996 and 2007 he served in the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of the Russian Federation as department head, deputy minister and state secretary. From 2007 through 2010 Mr. Sharonov was managing director and chairman of the Board of Directors of Troika Dialog Investment Company, and headed the investment banking business. Andrei is a Chairman of the Board of NefteTransService LLC, member of the Management Board of such companies as PJSC Sofkomflot, PJSC PhosAgro, JSC Medicina, EN+ GROUP IPJSC, PJSC Rosseti, Non-commercial organization Foundation for Development of the Center for Elaboration and Commercialization of New Technologies (Skolkovo Foudation).
By directive of the Moscow Mayor dated 22 December 2010, Mr. Sharonov was appointed Deputy Mayor in the Moscow Government for Economic Policy, Chairman of Regional Energy Commission. Mr. Sharonov headed the Executive Committees of Moscow Urban Forum and Open Innovations Forum. Mr. Sharonov was awarded the Aristos prize for “Independent Director” in 2009, the national award “Director of the Year – 2009” for “Independent Director” and the international award “Person of the Year – 2012” for “Business Reputation”. He also received special award for personal contribution to the development of corporate management in 2016 from the Independent Directors Association and the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs. Mr. Sharonov was awarded the Order of Honour and is an Honoured Economist of the Russian Federation. He also received President's Letters of Gratitude in 2003, 2008 and 2018.

Panellists
Victor Drozdov, Member of the Board, Polyus
Viktor Markov, Director, TransContainer
Karen Ovsepyan, General Director, Grain Terminal Zabaikalsk
Sergey Tverdokhleb, General Director, MCC EuroChem; Member of the Board of Directors, SUEK
Anna Tsivileva, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Kolmar Group
Alexey Chekunkov, Minister of the Russian Federation for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic

Victor Drozdov

Member of the Board, Polyus

Viktor Markov

Director, TransContainer

Karen Ovsepyan

General Director, Grain Terminal Zabaikalsk

Sergey Tverdokhleb

General Director, MCC EuroChem; Member of the Board of Directors, SUEK

Anna Tsivileva

Chairman of the Board of Directors, Kolmar Group

Alexey Chekunkov

Minister of the Russian Federation for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic

Alexey Chekunkov has been the head of the Far East Development Fund since October, 2014.In 2013-2014 Alexey managed his own investment company PAMIR Capital before appointment to the position of the Far East Development Fund Chief Executive Officer. In 2011-2013 he worked as a Director, Member of the Management Board and Investment Committee in the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF). Mr. Chekunkov was responsible for investments in healthcare, energy saving, raw materials sector as well as for establishing of the Russian-Chinese Investment Fund with 2 billion dollars capital. In 2009-2011 Alexey managed his own investment company New Nations Capital (venture capital investments, investment banking). In 2006-2009 he worked in the position of Managing Director in the investment company United Gold Company (UGC), being a part of Alfa-Group consortium.In 2003-2006 he was Vice-President in Delta Private Equity, one of the leading private equity companies in Russia, managing over 500 million dollars capital. He participated in a number of landmark deals including sale of Delta Bank, of TV channels STS and TV-3, of the National Cable Networks holding, of the company Compulink. In 2002-2003 Mr. Chekunkov took part in consolidation of gold-mining assets in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) as the Projects Director in the Investment Group Alrosa. On November 10, 2020, by decree of the President of the Russian Federation, he was appointed Minister of the Russian Federation for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic.

Front row participants
Mikhail Degtyarev, Governor of Khabarovsky Territory
Vladimir Lukin, Expert on Climate Change
Tatyana Nesterenko, Deputy President – Chairman of the Management Board, Otkritie FC Bank
Aysen Nikolaev, Head of Sakha Republic (Yakutia)
Vladimir Solodov, Governor of Kamchatka Territory
Konstantin Shestakov, Head of the City of Vladivostok

Mikhail Degtyarev

Governor of Khabarovsky Territory

Vladimir Lukin

Expert on Climate Change

Aysen Nikolaev

Head of Sakha Republic (Yakutia)

Born on January 22, 1972 in Leningrad
1994 - graduated from the physics department of Lomonosov Moscow State University
Started his career in finance corporation «SAPI»
1995 – Deputy Chairman of the Board of «Almazergienbank»
1998 – The Chairman of «Almazergienbank»
2004 – Minister of Finance of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia)
2007 – Chief of the Presidential and Government Administration of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia)
2011 – First Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia)
2012 - 2017 – Mayor of the city of Yakutsk
May 2018 – appointed as acting Head of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia)
The Head of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) since September 2018
He was elected to the State Assembly (Il Tumen) of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia).
Granted title of honor «Honored Worker of National Economy of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia)». Decorated with diplomas of the Federation Council, The State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation.

Konstantin Shestakov

Head of the City of Vladivostok