March 30, Vladimir Putin released Ustinov from the post of his adviser on the development of the fuel and energy sector and environmental security “in connection with transition to other work”. A day later the press service of the SOGAZ announced the appointment of Ustinov, the Chairman of the company is Sergei Ivanov, the son of the head of the presidential administration.
Chairman of the Board of Directors of SOGAZ, and the head of “Gazprom” Alexey Miller called the work of Ivanov successful: the company’s net profit from 2010 to 2015 increased almost four times – up to 22 billion rubles, all major objectives had been achieved. Ustinov in the message of the SOGAZ promises to strengthen the company’s position.
Anton Ustinov is 38 years old. He was born in Saratov and graduated first the Saratov state Academy of law with the qualification “lawyer”, then — the Russian Academy of state service under the President. He is a candidate of legal Sciences.
The newspaper “Kommersant” and “Vedomosti” with reference to its sources called him a nephew of Vladimir Ustinov, the former Prosecutor General (2000 to 2006) and now the presidential envoy in the southern Federal district. Three familiar Ustinov confirmed this . Anton Ustinov never his relationship with the former Prosecutor General publicly commented.
In 2007, the magazine “Kommersant Vlast” reported that the former Prosecutor General and Igor Sechin became the son of Dmitry Ustinov was married to Sechin’s daughter Inga. Press Secretary of “Rosneft” Mikhail Leontyev was not to comment on it. Anton Ustinov has not responded to calls .
In the service of the FTS
Ustinov’s career so far took place in the public service, information that he worked in business, there are no publicly available. Officials of the presidential administration, government and ministries previously told me that Ustinov is a man of Sechin’s team.
In 2000-2004 Ustinov was Deputy head and then head of the legal Department of the Ministry of taxes and duties. In 2004, he headed the legal Department of the Federal tax service of Russia (FTS, it was converted by the Ministry) and held this position until 2008. During the bankruptcy of Yukos, as an employee of the Federal tax service, Ustinov was a member of the Committee of creditors of the oil company and represented the creditors ‘ meeting in court. Tax officer and former Federal official say that in this case Ustinov directly interacted with the presidential administration, and Igor Sechin, then Deputy head of the presidential administration. Yukos was charged with tax claim for $27.5 billion, the company was declared bankrupt, and its principal assets went to state Rosneft, the Board of Directors of which was headed by Sechin.
During the work of the Ustinov in the FTS, there were several other major clashes of the tax business. In particular, the service filed a multibillion-dollar claims against oil companies TNK-BP and RussNeft. Stocks last the FTS even tried to claim her owner Mikhail Gutseriev in favor of the state. Becoming obvineniem in several criminal cases, Gutseriyev fled Russia having arranged the sale of RussNeft to Oleg Deripaska. In 2010 the charges against the businessman were dropped, he returned to country and took his company back (that Ustinov “supervised business “RussNeft”, wrote “Vedomosti”).
Assistant Sechin
Ustinov was formally subordinate only to Sechin 2008-2012 — the government of Vladimir Putin, Sechin served as Deputy Prime Minister for fuel and Energy complex, Ustinov was first his assistant and then Deputy head of his Secretariat. When Sechin headed a government Commission on development of fuel and Energy complex, Ustinov was its Secretary. According to friends of the former Deputy Prime Minister, Sechin called Ustinov in the office of the government for the diligence, ability to get to the bottom of the problem and experience in tax service.
In his new capacity Ustinov continued to oversee loud and responsible business. In particular, one of his acquaintances told me that working in the machine Sechin, Ustinov was responsible for re-investigation of the causes of a major accident at the mine Uralkali in Berezniki. The results of this test, threatened the company’s multi-billion dollar fines, the owner Dmitry Rybolovlev some time after the collision with the authorities sold “Uralkali” Suleiman Kerimov and his partners, and he left Russia.
In 2011 at the initiative of Putin, Sechin demanded that the heads of the Energy companies to take the government of the income statement and disclose the beneficiaries of counterparties companies. Analysis of declarations for conflict of interest and possible corruption was also involved in Ustinov. In spring 2012, Sechin reported to Putin on numerous violations. However, the basis for any high-profile cases they did not. When in may 2012, Putin again became President, he took Sechin to the Kremlin appointed him the head of “Rosneft”. In order not to lose influence on the industry, Sechin has made the creation of the presidential Commission on development of fuel and Energy complex and became its Secretary. Ustinov, Putin appointed his Advisor.
With the transition Sechin in “Rosneft”, Ustinov had a chance to go into business. Sechin called him to the position of Vice President of the company and simultaneously — the head of one of its subsidiaries, Ustinov told a friend. In his version, Ustinov even wrote a letter of resignation from the presidential administration, but the Governor suddenly changed his mind, allegedly offering to the former slave more modest position in the Central office of the company. Ustinov refused and was forced to withdraw the statement, which by that time was already signed by the head of the presidential administration Sergei Ivanov.
SOGAZ is a longtime partner of Rosneft in the insurance industry, joining Ustinov “we will continue to cooperate,” said spokesman oil company Mikhail Leontyev. A personal relationship with Sechin, Ustinov, he has not commented.
Unexpected appointment
Who exactly nominated Ustinov in the SOGAZ — unknown. The press service of the company at the inquiry about the circumstances of the appointment have not yet responded. The SOGAZ until mid-2014 was supervised by the structures of Bank “Russia”, the main shareholders of which at that time were old acquaintances of Vladimir Putin, Yuri Kovalchuk, Gennady Timchenko, Nikolai Shamalov. After the annexation of Crimea and the Bank, and its co-owners included in the sanction lists. To protect from sanctions, SOGAZ, the structure of the Bank “Russia” has reduced participation in the capital of the company, and Timchenko has announced that out of the number of shareholders. Now the main owner of SOGAZ with a share of over 40% is the group “Gazprom”. The representatives of “Russia” and “Gazprom” has not responded to the request for the appointment of Ustinov.
The son of the head of the presidential administration Sergei Ivanov headed the group since spring 2011. During this time capital insurance group has grown in 2,5 times (up to 71 billion rubles) and insurance fees – three times (up to 141 billion rubles), reported the company. Ivanov himself in a recent interview to the newspaper “Kommersant” was told that his contract with SOGAZ only expires in March 2017. “But believe me, even in the event of my withdrawal from SOGAZ nothing will change,’ he assured. Frankly, in the interests of ensuring the security of the business I have been submitted to the shareholders my pool of potential successors”. To the question whether he recommended that Ustinov, Ivanov did not answer.
Himself the former head of SOGAZ transferred to the savings Bank as senior Vice President and will develop the “wealth Management”, told the sources . According to a friend Ivanov, who had long wanted to return to the banking business, and Gref was looking for someone for this position since the spring of last year, when Sberbank left senior Vice President Denis Bugrov.
The lack of experience at Ustinov in the insurance business is not critical, says the head of one of the major insurance companies, who wished to remain anonymous: “This is a dynamic industry, insurance companies are often run by people with a different background”. Ustinov himself has described himself as a “professional public servant” and said that “can hardly see yourself in commercial enterprise”, says one of his acquaintances. He is the perfect bureaucrat, describes Ustinov a former Federal official: never argues with the boss, always on time and efficiently executes the instructions, is not seen in cases. “Ustinov is a true professional, says the head of the Bank “Russian capital” Mikhail Kuzovlev. — All administrative communication and achieve is the result of his effectiveness as a Manager. He’s not a high flyer, loves and knows how to get to the bottom”.
Ustinov did not come from the insurance world, so is unlikely to drastically change the team and the policy of SOGAZ, says analyst NRA (rates SOGAZ) Tatiana Ustinova. The company will get the new head in good condition, she said: SOGAZ diversified portfolio — he’s already been dealing with almost all types of insurance, and its authorized capital (25 billion rubles) — one of the largest on the market, allowing it to lead the reinsurance market and to take big risks.
