15.01.2008
Sergei Abramov has been appointed Gallery’s Chief Executive Officer
Gallery, the second largest outdoor advertising operator in all of Russia and Ukraine, announced that as of 15 January 2008 Sergei Abramov has been appointed the company’s CEO. The decision came at a Gallery Board of directors meeting the previous day.
Mr. Abramov has held various positions in mass media, investments and banking for over 25 years. From 1997 through 2000, he worked for Moscow City Government. He was, among other things, involved in the development of outdoor advertising in Moscow. He has been a member of Gallery's Board since 2005.
Gallery’s Board member and Co-Managing Partner of Baring Vostok Capital Partners, Michael Calvey, regarding Sergei Abramov’s appointment, commented: "Sergei Abramov was unanimously appointed by Gallery’s shareholders in order to strengthen the company’s position in the market and ensure its further dynamic growth."
Sergei Abramov, on his new role in Gallery, stated: "The Russian outdoor market is undergoing serious structural transformation. As the number two outdoor player in Russia and Ukraine, Gallery has serious potential to keep growing and solidifying its position in the market. I am enthusiastic about leading Gallery’s dynamic and professional management team and helping the company continue its impressive development."
Background of Mr. Sergey Abramov
Mr. Sergei Abramov is the Chairman of the Supervisory Council and a Partner at Baring Vostok Capital Partners.
Mr. Abramov was born on 10 April 1944 in Moscow. His father, Alexander Abramov, was a writer. Sergei graduated from the Moscow Automobile and Road Institute. From 1968 through 1988 he worked as a journalist for “Literaturnaya Gazeta", "Pravda", and the magazines "Smena" and "Theatre". In 1988 he started up and in the early 90s headed the weekly newspaper "Family".
Since the late 1980s Mr. Abramov has been involved in book publishing, mass media and trade business. In the 1990s he worked on corporate construction and investment policy at various banking and investment structures.
From 1997 through 2000 he was the First Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Telecommunications and Mass Media in the Moscow City Government.
From 2000 until 2004 he was the First Deputy Head of the Office for Internal Policy of the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation.
From 2001 until 2004 he was a secretary of the Presidential Councils on culture and art, science, technology, education and sports.
Since 2004, Mr. Abramov has been the Chairman of the Supervisory Council and a Partner of the investment company Baring Vostok Capital Partners.
Mr. Abramov is also a permanent expert-adviser of the public organization "Megaproject", a member of the All-Russia public organization "The League of the Nation’s Health”, the honorary member of the General Committee and a Member of the Coordination Committee of the public organization "Delovaya Rossija", a Member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation of the first and second convocations.
About Baring Vostok Capital Partners
Baring Vostok is one of the leading private equity firms operating in Russia and the CIS. The Baring Vostok Private Equity Funds have invested over $600 million in nearly 50 companies since 1994, and currently have committed capital of $1.5 billion for new investment. The Funds’ portfolios have been diversified among financial services, oil & gas, consumer products, telecommunications, and media sectors, including Bank Caspian, Europlan, Center of Financial Technologies, Burren Energy, Volga Gas, CTC Media, Yandex, Gallery Group, Golden Telecom, Vimpelcom, Syktyvkar Forestry, SladCo, Borjomi, Ozon and others. The Baring Vostok Private Equity Funds include a number of leading institutional investors such as EBRD, IFC, pension funds, governmental investment corporations, endowments and international financial institutions from North America, Western Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Baring Vostok is a member of Baring Private Equity International, a global private equity group with more than $3.5 billion of capital commitments under management by affiliates in the CIS, Asia, India, Europe and Latin America.
About Gallery
Established in 1994, Gallery is now the second largest out-of-home operator in Russia. Through its subsidiaries, Gallery owns and operates a network of more than 43,000 advertising panels in more than 30 cities across Russia, including over 33,000 advertising units in Moscow. Gallery structure includes own sales and media buying house, which enables Gallery to provide its clients with truly nationwide advertising campaigns in over 230 cities across Russia. Gallery provides clients with advertising opportunities on billboards, street furniture and transit displays.
In the third quarter of 2007 Gallery entered the Ukrainian market through the acquisition of three Ukrainian outdoor operators and became the second largest operator in Ukraine, with more than 3,000 advertising panels.
Gallery has a high quality institutional shareholder base with Baring Vostok Private Equity Fund III, Morgan Stanley Principal Investments and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development controlling a majority interest.
www.gallerymedia.com
For further information, please, contact:
Jana Richterova
Gallery
Corporate Communications Director
richterova@gallerymedia.com
Tel: (+7495) 225-20 40
Fax: (+7495) 225-20 41
Andrey Costyashkin
Partner, BVCP
acost@bvcp.ru
Tel: +7 (495) 967-1307
Fax: +7 (495) 967-1308
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