13 Dec 2021 09:00
13th December For immediate release
VK COMPANY LIMITED
Vladimir Kirienko appointed as a new CEO (Russia) of VK
VK Company Limited (LSE and MICEX-RTS: MAIL, hereinafter referred to as VK or the Сompany) is pleased to announce that the board of directors of VK has unanimously approved the appointment of Vladimir Kirienko as the new Chief Executive Officer (Russia), effective immediately. Vladimir is replacing Boris Dobrodeev, who, following changes at the shareholder structure in MFT, has announced his intention to step down as the CEO of VK earlier this month.
Dmitry Grishin, co-founder and Chairman of the Board of VK, commented:
"The board of directors of VK is pleased to welcome Vladimir Kirienko to the team. We are confident that his experience, enthusiasm and level of energy will ensure that VK will strengthen its leadership among the Russian ecosystems. The board supports Vladimir's vision of maintaining VK in top positions in reach and engagement on the domestic Internet market, while also further advancing the company's level of technological innovation and overall user experience. Vladimir has a great track record of launching and successfully developing multiple complex projects, and we are positive he has all the right ingredients to take VK to new heights.
We also thank Boris Dobrodeev for the results achieved by VK under his leadership. Boris made a significant contribution to the company's transformation into an ecosystem under the new unifying VK brand, while also securing the company's access to multiple new and promising segments such as food tech, ecommerce or online education. We thank him for his energy, tenacity, persistence and wish him success in his future endeavors."
Commenting on his appointment Vladimir Kirienko, CEO of VK (Russia), said:
"I am excited to be joining VK as its CEO. It is an honor and a great responsibility to contribute to the development of the ecosystem that serves to make everyday life easier for millions of people by offering accessible and high-quality products and services, while also empowering businesses and entrepreneurs. The company will continue to unlock new markets and test new products as we focus on expanding our reach and user engagement. The company has a powerful platform for further growth, and realizing its full potential as a business, as an employer and a public company is a challenge I am very much looking forward to. As with any new CEO I will undertake a review of all operations and will report to shareholders as quickly as possible. I have been very impressed with the team I have met thus far and look forward to working with them to ensure an orderly and timely transition."
Biography
Vladimir has extensive expertise in direct investments in Russian companies and IT business. Since 2017, he has worked as First Vice President of Rostelecom. From 2016 till 2017 he has held the position of Senior Vice President for Business Development and Management of Rostelecom. Prior to joining Rostelecom, Vladimir was the Chairman of the Board of Directors of LLC Capital since 2011. From 2008 till 2011 he was the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Nizhegorodpromstroybank.
Vladimir Kirienko graduated from the Higher School of Economics, where he studied corporate finance and economics. He received his Executive MBA degree from Skolkovo Moscow School of Management.
For further information please contact:
Investors
Tatiana VolochkovichPhone: +7 495 725 6357 extension: 3434Mobile: +7 905 594 6604E-mail: t.volochkovich@vk.team
Press
Sergei LuchinMobile: +7 915 223 3571E-mail: s.luchin@vk.team
About VK
VK develops the ecosystem helping millions of people with their day-to-day needs online. More than 90% of the Russian internet audience use the ecosystem services.
The ecosystem enables people to keep in touch (using social networks OK and VKontakte, messaging apps and email service), play video games (via MY.GAMES), get and offer items and services, browse jobs and hire talent (via Youla and VK Jobs), order food and grocery delivery (via Delivery Club, Samokat and Local Kitchen), get a ride (with Citymobil and Citydrive), master new skills (at GeekBrains, Skillbox and other educational services), buy and sell at AliExpress Russia and fulfill other needs.
The VK ecosystem features a number of shared elements bringing the services together. Users can sign in to different services with a single VK ID account, pay and earn cash back with the VK Pay platform, get discounts and deals with VK Combo, access their favorite services via the VK Mini Apps platform - and the Marusya voice assistant can help with any task.
The company offers enterprises to employ its dynamic ecosystem to digitize their business processes, providing a range of solutions from online promotion and predictive analytics to corporate social networks, cloud services and enterprise automation.