Andrei Yakunin

Andrei has over 25 years of experience in successfully managing international projects in the areas of hospitality, logistics and various kinds of property. In 2006 he co-founded the company VIYM, and is now a partner in two investment portfolios of direct investments in small and medium capitalisation companies, with total assets of over 400 million USD.

Prior to founding VIYM, Andrei lead a project to develop business at the biggest hotel in St. Petersburg – the “Pribaltiyskaya” – which also involved opening the city’s first (and Russia’s largest) indoor water park. He had also earlier held various positions of responsibility in the areas of strategy management, tax planning, financial and investment consultancy in such companies as Rocco Forte’s New Hotel Group, MCD-Pannell Kerr Forster and Europe Management-Invest.

Alongside his main professional work, Andrei is also involved in raising funds for educational and cultural projects. In 2014 he was one of the creators of the St. Petersburg State University Alumni Association, and has since been its president. As well as this, Andrei is one of the founders of the St. Petersburg Dostoevsky Foundation for non-commercial projects, designed to support and develop the Dostoevsky Museum.

Andrei has a PhD in economics and mathematics from St. Petersburg State University, where he wrote and defended his dissertation on finance and credit. He also holds an EMGA Global from London Business School and Columbia University.