The SME Forum

Ten years ago, the government of the Russian Federation established a quota for state-owned companies to purchase from SMEs. This step, among others, allowed SMEs unimpeded access to procurement by major state-owned companies. By participating in procurement, SMEs expand the market for their products, which ultimately leads to the SME sector in the Russian economy expanding. At present, it is state-owned companies that ensure a constant and growing demand for the products and services of small businesses. By guaranteeing entrepreneurs access to the purchases made by major customers, the government both meets the needs of companies who are customers, and enables small businesses to boost their selling power. After 10 years of these kinds of procurements, can we conclude that this measure has been successful? Were the companies (customers) able to fulfil their needs by working with small businesses? How can the largest customers boost the number of entrepreneurs participating in their procurements in the future? Does the guaranteed sales market allow entrepreneurs to think about expanding their capacity?

Moderators
Vladimir Gerasimov, Deputy General Director, Interfax Information Services Group
Dmitry Panov, Coordinator of the "Business Russia" in the North-Western Federal District
Dmitry Sytin, First Deputy General Director, Electronic Trading Development Center

Vladimir Gerasimov

Deputy General Director, Interfax Information Services Group

Responsible at Interfax for financial and business information and services for business, and for the operations of the Group's international partnerships. Graduated from Moscow State University's Faculty of Journalism and worked in Foreign Broadcasting before joining Interfax in 1991, where he created the news agency's first business and finance products. Head of business and finance information at Interfax, and, from 1998, became the agency's deputy head, then first deputy head. His projects include SPARK, Russia's leading risk assessment system, and the disclosure site, www.e-disclosure.ru. Oversaw the creation of SPARK Marketing procurement analysis system, and of X-Compliance, Russia's first system for ensuring fulfillment of legislation on the fight against money laundering and the financing of terrorism. Helped set up the United Credit Bureau, a Russian market leader in credit information, and oversees the operations of the joint venture that Interfax set up with Dun & Bradstreet, a market leader for information on foreign companies. Plays an active role in the Open Government, and is a member of the Open Data Council and has served on the public councils of the Federal Tax Service and Federal State Statistics Service in recent years. He is one of the leading media industry managers, according to the Russian Managers Association TOP 1000 ranking.

Dmitry Panov

Coordinator of the "Business Russia" in the North-Western Federal District

Dmitry Sytin

First Deputy General Director, Electronic Trading Development Center

Panellists
Sergey Anokhin, First Vice President - Financial Director, Rostelecom
Maria Glukhova, Executive Vice President, Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP)
Elena Dybova, Vice President, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation
Petr Ivanov, Deputy Head, Federal Antimonopoly Service of the Russian Federation (FAS Russia)
Andrey Kashutin, General Director, UETP
Evgeny Knyazev, Vice President, Head of the Procurement, Logistics and Tendering Unit of Rosgeo
Alfia Kogogina, First Deputy Chairman of the Committee of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on Small and Medium Entrepreneurship
Natalia Korotchenkova, Secretary of State – Deputy General Director, Member of the Board, Russian Small and Medium Business Corporation
Alexey Kuchmin, Founder, AIR Group of Companies
Igor Redkin, Head of Legal Support of Contractual Work and Procurement Activities of the Legal Block, VEB.RF
Maxim Tretyakov, General Director, Elkat
Yuriy Shilov, General Director, Ivanovo Textile Company

Sergey Anokhin

First Vice President - Financial Director, Rostelecom

Maria Glukhova

Executive Vice President, Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP)

Elena Dybova

Vice President, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation

Born on March 14, 1965 in Rzhev, Tver Region. She graduated with distinction from the Moscow Technological Institute. A Lenin Scholarship holder. In 1991, she opened her own company, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in March 2016. In 2014, Elena Dybova was appointed head of the Committee for Development of the Small and Medium-Sized Businesses under the CCI of Russia. At the 7th Congress of the CCI of Russia, she was elected Vice-President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation.
Elena Dybova takes an active part in all events (conferences, roundtables and meetings) to protect the interests of small businesses and optimise their cooperation with government authorities. She is a member of the working group for joint anti-corruption measures of representatives of the business community and government authorities under the Presidium of the Presidential Council for Counteracting Corruption, a member of the Government Commission on Crime Prevention and the Expert Council for Contract Relations under the Ministry for Economic Development of the Russian Federation.
Elena Dybova is a member of the Regional Headquarters of the Regional Department of the All-Russia Public Movement PEOPLE’s FRONT FOR RUSSIA in Moscow and head of the Working Group “For Honest and Efficient Economy”. She is married with two children.

Petr Ivanov

Deputy Head, Federal Antimonopoly Service of the Russian Federation (FAS Russia)

Andrey Kashutin

General Director, UETP

Evgeny Knyazev

Vice President, Head of the Procurement, Logistics and Tendering Unit of Rosgeo

Alfia Kogogina

First Deputy Chairman of the Committee of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on Small and Medium Entrepreneurship

Natalia Korotchenkova

Secretary of State – Deputy General Director, Member of the Board, Russian Small and Medium Business Corporation

Alexey Kuchmin

Founder, AIR Group of Companies

Igor Redkin

Head of Legal Support of Contractual Work and Procurement Activities of the Legal Block, VEB.RF

Maxim Tretyakov

General Director, Elkat

Yuriy Shilov

General Director, Ivanovo Textile Company