Board of Directors

Mr. Natalenko completed his studies at the Irkutsk State University in 1969 with a primary focus in Geological Engineering. Subsequently, he worked with the Yagodinskaya, Bagdarinskaya, Berelekhskaya, Anadirskaya and East-Chukotskaya geological expeditions. In 1986, Mr. Natalenko headed the North-East Industrial and Geological Association and, in 1992, he was elected president of AI "Magadan Gold & Silver Company". He subsequently held various executive positions in Russian and foreign geological organizations. From 1996 to 2001, Mr. Natalelnko held the position of Deputy Minister of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation. He is a member of the Board of Directors of ZAO GC VERTEX.

 

Currently, Mr. Natalenko is Chairman of NOVATEK's Board of Directors. He is also Chairman of the Strategy and Investments Committee of NOVATEK’s Board of Directors.

 

Mr. Natalenko is the recipient of the State Prize of the Russian Federation and an Honored Geologist of Russia.

Mr. Mikhelson received his primary degree from the Samara Institute of Civil Engineering in 1977, where he specialized in Industrial Civil Engineering. That same year, Mr. Mikhelson began his career as foreman of a construction and assembling company in Surgut, Tyumen region, where he worked on the construction of the first section of Urengoi-Chelyabinsk gas pipeline. In 1985, Mr. Mikhelson was appointed Chief Engineer of Ryazantruboprovodstroy. In 1987, he became General Director of Kuibishevtruboprovodstroy, which in 1991, was the first company in the region to sell its shares and became private company, AO SNP NOVA. Mr. Mikhelson remained SNP NOVA's Managing Director from August 1987 through October 1994. Subsequently, he became a General Director of the management company "Novafininvest", the holding and finance structure which included SNP NOVA as an asset, amongst others, and is the predecessor to NOVATEK.

 

Since 2002, Mr. Mikhelson has served as a member of the Board of Directors and Chairman of the Management Board of NOVATEK. From March 2008 to December 2010, he has been a member of the Board of Directors of OAO Stroytransgas and from 2008 to 2011 a member of the Board of Directors of OOO Art Finance. Since April 2011, Mr. Mikhelson has served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of ZAO "SIBUR Holding" and since June 2011, as a member of the Supervisory Board of Russian Regional Development Bank. Mr Mikhelson is the recipient of the Russian Federation's Order of the Badge of Honor.

Mr. Gyetvay studied at Arizona State University (Bachelor of Science, Accounting, 1981) and later at Pace University, New York (Graduate Studies in Strategic Management, 1995). After graduation, Mr. Gyetvay worked in various capacities at a number of independent oil and gas companies (Champlin Petroleum Co., Texas, Ensource Inc. and MAG Enterprises, Colorado, and Amerada Hess Corporation, New Jersey) where he specialized in financial and economic analysis for both upstream and downstream segments of the petroleum industry.

 

In 1994, Mr. Gyetvay began his work at Coopers and Lybrand, New York, as Director, Strategic Energy Advisory Services working for oil and gas companies in the USA and abroad. He subsequently moved to Moscow in 1995 with Coopers & Lybrand to lead the oil and gas practice. He was admitted as a partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers Global Energy where he assumed the role of client service engagement partner, Utilities and Mining practice, based in Russia (Moscow office). Mr. Gyetvay was an engagement partner on various energy and mining clients providing overall project management, financial and operational expertise, maintaining and supporting client service relationships as well as serving as concurring partner on transaction services to the petroleum sector.

 

Mr. Gyetvay is a Certified Public Accountant, a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and an associate member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers. 

 

In 2003, Mr. Gyetvay became a member of NOVATEK’s Board of Directors and is also a member of the Strategy and Investments Committee of NOVATEK’s Board of Directors. Since 2004, he has been Chief Financial Officer of NOVATEK and in 2005 Mr. Gyetvay was elected to NOVATEK’s Management Board and in 2008 he became Deputy Director of NOVATEK’s Management Board

Mr. Akimov graduated from the Moscow Financial Institute in 1975 where he specialized in international economics. Between 1974 and 1987, Mr. Akimov held various executive positions in the Bank of Foreign Trade (“Vneshtorgbank”) of the USSR. From 1985 to 1987 he served as Deputy General Director of Vneshtorgbank’s branch in Zurich (Switzerland) and between 1987 and 1990, Mr. Akimov headed Donau Bank in Vienna (Austria). From January 1991 to November 2002 he was Managing Director of financial company, IMAG GmbH Vienna (Austria) and, at the same time, served as an Advisor to the Chairman of Vneshtorgbank. Since 2003, Mr. Akimov has been the Chairman of the Management Committee of Gazprombank (OAO). He is Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Gazprombank (Switzerland) Ltd and a member of the Board of Directors of ZAO Gerosgaz, Carbon Trade & Finance SICAR S.E. Since 2011, he has been a member of the Board of Directors of OAO Gazprom.

 

Since December 2006, he has been a member of NOVATEK’s Board of Directors and its Audit Committee.

Dr. Bergmann studied physics at the Freiburg and Aachen Universities from 1962 to 1968 and was awarded a Doctorate in Engineering by Aachen University of Technology in 1970. From 1968 to 1969, Dr. Bergmann worked at the German Federal Ministry for Research and Technology and from 1969 to 1972 – at the JülichNuclear Research Center. In 1972, Dr. Bergmann joined Ruhrgas AG (from 1 July 2004 – E.ON Ruhrgas AG), heading the LNG Purchasing Department. In 1978, he became Head of the Gas Purchasing Division responsible for gas purchasing, commercial aspects of gas transmission and storage, as well as gas billing. In 1980, he was elected as a member of the Management Board of E.ON Ruhrgas AG, serving from June 1996 as its Vice-Chairman and from June 2001 to February 2008 as its Chairman. From March 2003 to February 2008 he was also a member of the Management Board of E.ON AG.

 

Dr. Bergmann is also a member of the Board of Directors (Supervisory Board) of: Allianz Lebensversicherungs-AG, Commerzbank AG, E.ON Energie AG, , Contilia GmbH, Telenor ASA. In addition, he is a member of the Advisory Boards for Dana Gas International, Akkumulatorenwerke Hoppecke Carl Zoeellner& Sohn GmbH, IVG Immobilien AG. He has been elected as Chairman of the Advisory Board of Jaeger BeteiligungsgesellschaftmbH& Co KG.

 

Dr. Bergmann holds the following distinctions: Commander of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit (1997); a Foreign Member of the Academy of Technological Sciences of the Russian Federation (2003); Order of Merit of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia (2004) as well as a winner of Director of the Year, Moscow (2007); Federal Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (2008).

Mr. Darricarrere received his higher education with a Masters of Economics from The Ècole Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Paris. He has held various managerial positions in Total Group over the last five years:

 

Between 2002 and 2003, Mr. Darricarrere has served as Senior Vice President for Exploration & Production in the Northern Europe where he was represented on the management committee.

 

He has been a member of Total Group's Executive Committee from 2003 to 2007.

 

Between 2003 and 2007, Mr. Darricarrere served as President of Total Gas & Power.

 

Since 2007 to present, he has been President of Total Exploration & Production.

Mr. Seleznev, graduated from the D.F. Ustinov Baltic State Institute of Technology in 1997 and, in 2002, received a degree in Finance and Credit from the St. Petersburg State University. Upon completion of his university studies, Mr. Seleznev managed OOO "Baltic Finance Company", OAO Investment and Financial Group "Management Investments Development" and OAO "St. Petersburg Sea Port", all of which are located in St. Petersburg, Russia. In 2000, Mr. Seleznev was appointed as Chief of the Tax Group at IAI "Baltic Pipeline System", St. Petersburg, Russia. Between 2001 and 2002, Mr. Seleznev held the position of Deputy Chief of Staff of the Management Board and Assistant to Chief Executive Officer of OAO Gazprom, in Moscow, Russia. Since 2002, he has been the head of the Gas and Liquid Hydrocarbons Marketing and Processing Department of OAO Gazprom and a Member of the OAO Gazprom Management Board. Since 2003, Mr. Seleznev has been the General Director of OOO Mezhregiongaz.

 

Mr. Seleznev is also a member of the Board of Directors and Supervisory Board of several other entities. Since 2006, Mr. Seleznev has been a member of NOVATEK’s Board of Directors.

Ruben Vardanian is Troika Dialog’s Board Chairman. An employee at Troika Dialog since the company’s establishment, Mr. Vardanian became head of the company in 1992. Mr. Vardanian is one of the leading figures on Russia’s capital markets, having played a key role in developing almost all segments of the country’s stock market. He is a member of the Russian Union of Industrialistsand Entrepreneurs, where he sits on the Management Committee. He also serves as Chairman of Corporate Governance Committee of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, as well as Arbitrator of its United Committee on Corporate Ethics.

 

Mr. Vardanian is Board Chairman of AmeriaBank. He is a Board member of AvtoVAZ, KAMAZ, AK BARS Bank, OAO NOVATEK, Standard Bank Plc. and Joule Unlimited Inc. Mr. Vardanian has been a Chairman of the Human Resources and Compensations Committee of AvtoVAZ and Chairman of our Corporate Governance and Remuneration Committee of OAO NOVATEK.. Between 2002 and 2004, Mr. Vardanian served as General Director of Rosgosstrakh and from April 2004 to July 2005, he held a position of Chairman of its Board of Directors. Mr. Vardanian is President of the Moscow Skolkovo School of Management and is a member of its Coordinating Council. He is also a member of the President’s Council on Implementation of National Projects and Demographic Policy, a member of the Government’s Competition and Entrepreneurship Council of the Russian Federation, a member of the South Korea President’s Advisory Council on Education and a member of the Guardian Council of the Specialized Endowment Fund at the Russian Economic School. Mr. Vardanian is also a member of the Coordinating Council of Armenia 2020 project and a member of Guardian Council of Armenia’s National Competitiveness Fund, a member of the International Advisory Council of Guanghua (China), a member of the International Advisory Council of FDC Business School (Brazil) and a member of the Supreme Religious Council of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

 

The American Trade Chamber named Mr. Vardanian as ‘‘Businessperson of the Year’’ for ‘‘a considerable contribution to Russia’s business development and abiding by high norms of professional ethics’’. He became a laureate of the ‘‘Person 2003’’ national award and in 2001, Mr. Vardanian was included in the Fortune’s prestigious list ‘‘25 Rising Stars of the New Generation’’.

 

The World Economic Forum (Davos) included Mr. Vardanian in a list of ‘‘100 future world leaders’’. He was also included in the Top 22 Business Leaders of Russia (rating by the ‘‘Commersant’’ newspaper and Managers Association).

Mr. Vardanian was a winner of Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2004 Award. He was recognized as the Best Investment Banker of 2004 in a competition named ‘‘Stock Market Elite’’ conducted by NAUFOR (National Association of Stock Market Participants). Mr. Vardanian is a laureate of the prestigious ‘‘ARISTOS’’ business award by the Association of Russia’s Managers and Publishing House Commersant in the nomination ‘‘For special merits in the Russian business development 2006’’. In 2008, he received the ‘‘Finance’’ magazine award ‘‘For reputation in the financial market’’. Mr. Vardanian graduated with honors from Moscow State University with a degree in Economics and received post graduate training at BANCA CRT (1992, Italy) and at Merrill Lynch (1992, New York, USA). In 2000, he also completed executive management courses at INSEAD (Fontainbleau, France) and, in 2001 and 2005, he received training from Harvard Business School (USA). 

In 1976, Mr. Timchenko graduated with a Masters of Science from the Mechanical University in Leningrad. He began his career at the Izjorskii Factory in Leningrad, an industrial plant which made components for the energy industry. Between 1982 and 1988, he was a Senior Engineer at the Ministry of Foreign Trade.  Mr. Timchenko has more than 20 years of experience in Russian and International energy sectors and he has built interests in trading, logistics and transportation related companies.

 

In 1988, Mr. Timchenko became a vice president of Kirishineftekhimexport, the export and trading arm of the Kirishi refinery in the Leningrad region. In 1991, he worked for Urals Finland which specialized in oil and petrochemical trading. Between 1994 and 2001, Mr. Timchenko was managing Director of IPP OY Finland and IPP AB Sweden. In 1997, he co-founded Gunvor, a leading independent oil-trading company. Mr. Timchenko has been a member of the Board of Directors of OOO Transoil and OOO BalttransService. Since 2009, he has been a member of NOVATEK’s Board of Directors.