By Andrei Skvarky. Sberbank has lent $250m to Russian security software developer Kaspersky Lab, with the biggest Russia lender’s investment arm, Sberbank CIB, being one of the lead arrangers of what is a syndicated loan. Continue Reading
EXCLUSIVE: Russia’s Alfa Bank parts company with COO Denis Soloviev
By Andrei Skvarsky. Denis Soloviev has resigned as chief operating officer of the corporate and investment division of Alfa Bank, one of Russia’s largest privately owned lenders. Continue Reading
Deutsche Boerse’s MNI: Russians getting worse off, gloomy about economy
By Andrei Skvarsky. The latest of monthly surveys by a Deutsche Boerse-owned think tank suggests the average Russian is increasingly worse off, is worried about their current and future finances and has gloomy outlooks for Russia’slabour market and economy in general as recession and possible further western sanctions loom large. Continue Reading
Sberbank wants apologies from Ukraine’s top prosecutor
By Andrei Skvarsky. Sberbank chief executive Herman Gref has asked Ukraine’s chief prosecutor to apologise for “groundless” allegations that Russia’s biggest lender has been financing pro-Russian separatists who are fighting government troops in eastern Ukraine. Continue Reading
RenCap hiring for new Dubai office
By Andrei Skvarsky. Renaissance Capital has made three hires for a new office that the Russian investment bank is due to open in Dubai later this summer, and plans more recruitments for it. Continue Reading
Asia Frontier Capital reminds investors of Vietnam’s booming economy
By Andrei Skvarsky. Asia-focused fund manager Asia Frontier Capital (AFC) points out that Vietnam, not the most yearned-for destination for the average investor, has become one of the world’s fastest-growing economies since market reforms opened up the ex-communist country to foreign capital in the late 1980s. Continue Reading
Deutsche Boerse analysts: For Russian companies, it's not really business as usual
By Andrei Skvarsky. A survey by Deutsche Boerse-owned data provider MNI suggests that the majority of Russian companies are increasingly unhappy with the state of their business because of western sanctions against Russia, and that the overall sentiment became predominantly pessimistic in May. Continue Reading
Sberbank hires ING researcher as FX and rates chief strategist
By Andrei Skvarsky. Sberbank has hired Tom Levinson from ING as chief strategist for foreign exchange and rates at Sberbank CIB, the investment arm of Russia’s number-one lender. Continue Reading
Sberbank, Abu Dhabi’s Invest AD clinch “strategic” deal
By Andrei Skvarsky. Russia’s biggest lender Sberbank and Abu Dhabi’s state-owned Invest AD investment management firm have signed a preliminary deal on “strategic” cooperation in asset management in Russia, the Commonwealth of Independent States, and the Middle East, Sberbank said. Continue Reading
Russia’s Mosoblbank “most likely” had unit for cooking the books
By Andrei Skvarsky. Mosoblbank, Russia’s 83rd largest bank by assets, “most likely” had a division whose job was to cook the books in a bid to bypass regulatory restrictions slapped on the distressed lender with the aim of stopping it from going to the wall, a central bank deputy governor said. Continue Reading
Ozon acquires stake in LitRes, the leading Russian e-book store
Source – East-West Digital News Ozon Holdings, one of Russia’s most established e-commerce players, announced that it acquired a stake in LitRes, the leader in Russia’s fast growing – though still embryonic – domestic e-book market. Neither the size of the stake nor the amount of the transaction has been disclosed. Continue Reading
Streaming music startup Bloom.fm shuts down after Russia investor pulls out
As reported by Guardian, streaming music service Bloom.fm, app with more than 1.1m registered users in the UK alone, has shut down after its main investor pulled out suddenly. Continue Reading
Russian speaking lawyer, NQ-3PQE – London based
Top tier law firm is looking for a Russian speaking English qualified junior solicitor for its disputes practice. NQ to 3 PQE. Please sends CVs to presidium@russiansinthecity.eu {{{?}}} Continue Reading
EME Sales Assistant for Solutions & FX Sales, London Based
A direct vacancy from www.russiansinthecity.eu Job Reference 66510 Job Title EME Sales Assistant for Solutions & FX Sales (BA4) The Sales Support team is responsible for a variety of functions to support the firm’s clients and our internal customers (sales and trading desks, other infrastructure areas) to ensure accurate and timely processing… Continue Reading
Investment banking internship at European bank, London based
A direct vacancy from www.russiansinthecity.eu Russian speaking intern required for a long term (12 months or more) internship to join an ECM team at a European investment bank. Prior banking experience is not required, but the candidate must demonstrate basic knowledge of finance and enthusiasm to work in the industry. The candidate must… Continue Reading
Machlin-Oracle article: India economy may show faster growth
By Andrei Skvarsky. An article released by London-based investment advisory firm Machlin-Oracle argues that India now has a chance of speeding up its economic growth after a current slowdown. {{{?}}} This presumed opportunity has been created by the victory of right-wing Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party in May 12 elections and the designation of its… Continue Reading
Sanctioned Bank Rossiya parts with $362m as clients withdraw forex
By Andrei Skvarsky. Client accounts at Bank Rossiya have plunged by a total of 12.6bn rubles ($362m) since the end of March as customers have been withdrawing foreign currency from the St Petersburg-based lender after the United States imposed sanctions on it. {{{?}}} Bank Rossiya limited its business to ruble transactions after the U.S. government… Continue Reading
EME Sales Assistant for Solutions & FX Sales, London Based
Vacancy direct from www.russiansinthecity.eu Job Reference 66510 Job Title EME Sales Assistant for Solutions & FX Sales (BA4) The Sales Support team is responsible for a variety of functions to support the firm’s clients and our internal customers (sales and trading desks, other infrastructure areas) to ensure accurate and timely processing of transactions.… Continue Reading
Factoring – International Factoring Manager, London based
Vacancy direct from www.russiansinthecity.eu A London based company is looking for a specialist in international factoring to join UK office. Focusing on CIS market and working as Export Factor our company is aiming to further develop this growing market. The candidate must have previous factoring experience, preferably in the international factoring products.… Continue Reading
Russia-Ukraine crisis threatens recovery in the EBRD region
The crisis in Russia and Ukraine is having a severe impact on the economies of the two countries and is threatening to slow down the recovery in the wider EBRD region – or even bring it to a complete halt. {{{?}}} The EBRD’s latest economic report predicts growth in the transition region of just 1.4 per cent in 2014,… Continue Reading
Sberbank CIB to take part in St Petersburg International Economic Forum
Sberbank CIB bankers will take part in the annual St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) this month as part of a delegation from its parent firm Sberbank, Russia’s biggest lender. {{{?}}} “Sustaining Confidence in a World Undergoing Transformation” is the theme of the XVIII SPIEF, to be held in St Petersburg on May 22-24 and… Continue Reading
Asia Frontier Capital hires analyst for Southeast Asia, Mongolia
By Andrei Skvarsky. Asia Frontier Capital (AFC), a Hong Kong-based fund management company that specialises in investing in Asian frontier markets, has hired Scott Osheroff from Pathfinder Capital Management as a research analyst for Southeast Asia and Mongolia. {{{?}}} Osheroff, who joined AFC on May 1, will be based in Phnom Penh for nine months… Continue Reading
Investors in Crimea to receive “considerable” Russian government support
Investors willing to inject money into the Crimea will receive “considerable support” from the Russian government, Oleg Savelyev, the Russian minister responsible for the region, promised earlier this month. {{{?}}} As Rusbase reported, in addition to Russian and Ukrainian investors, Minister Savelyev hopes investors from China, India, Korea and the entire Southeast Asia will also line… Continue Reading
Ukraine and EBRD launch initiative to combat corruption
The government of Ukraine has pledged to do more to combat corruption with the support of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), multilateral organisations as well as domestic and foreign business associations. {{{?}}} The Ukrainian Anti-Corruption Initiative aims to improve the investment climate and to strengthen the economic outlook by ensuring greater accountability and transparency… Continue Reading
Deutsche Börse analysts: Russians increasingly worse off because of Ukraine
By Andrei Skvarsky. A Deutsche Börse-owned research company says consumer sentiment in Russia has been going down steadily since the start of the year because of the Ukraine crisis, and that a survey taken last month showed a further decline. {{{?}}} Household finances, short-term business conditions and the spending climate in Russia are all affected… Continue Reading
EBRD appoints Managing Director for Eastern Europe and the Caucasus
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has appointed, Francis Malige to the new position of Managing Director for Eastern Europe and the Caucasus. {{{?}}} Mr Malige assumed his role 1 May. He is responsible for leading the Bank’s operations in Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. Initially based in London, he will be relocating to Kiev later in the… Continue Reading
Executive Assistant, Greater London based
Executive Assistant, Greater London based A UK-based entrepreneur is looking for an executive assistant living in or willing to travel to Haslemere and/or Guildford. Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following: · Performing confidential secretarial and administrative duties · Composing, editing and reviewing confidential correspondence · Compiling statistical information or… Continue Reading
International Counsel, Amsterdam / London based
Major Responsibilities: Legal Arranging and supervising M&A, private equity investments, corporate finance transactions Transaction execution Drafting of multilingual contracts, resolutions and other legal documents Compliance, evaluation and due diligence of the structures, corporate documents and files Consulting on various international legal aspects Liaising with legal advisors and notaries Maintenance of the filing system… Continue Reading
Qiwi top executives make $30m and entrepreneurial experience available to Russian start-ups
In late April Andrei Romanenko, a top executive at Russian payment giant Qiwi, announced the launch of Run Capital, a venture fund targeting Russian tech start-ups at the pre-seed and seed stages. {{{?}}} The $30m fund will able to provide young Russian entrepreneurs with much more than just financial support, East-West Digital News, the first… Continue Reading