Russia lags far behind other countries in the development of female entrepreneurship. You are more likely to meet charming women for marriage than just workaholics who are not interested in family life. According to statistics, only 27% of the total number of business projects are created by women. Today, the Association of Women-Entrepreneurs of Russia actively works, promoting the idea of the creation of a social portrait of a business lady and identifying successful companies created by women. Businesswomen are a special unit of society which also has its own “gurus.” There are top 10 rich, prosperous, and famous Russian businesswomen.
1. Elena Baturina
She is a founder of the humanitarian fund BE OPEN, developer, investor. Elena is the wife of the ex-mayor of Moscow and is considered the richest businesswoman in Russia according to Forbes. Her interests include alternative energy and membrane construction, but she has a soft spot for the hotel business: she is the owner of hotels in Austria, the Czech Republic, Ireland, and Russia.
2. Irina Stepanova
She is the CEO of the Russian representative office of the auction house Sotheby’s. The representative office examines the authenticity of works of art, patronizes museums, and supports young artists. Irina had gone all the way of the company’s development, starting with a tiny office with two employees to the conformity with the standards of Sotheby’s.
3. Valentina Rumyantseva
She is the CEO of L’Oreal Lux in Russia. The company opened the first in Europe perfume and cosmetics boutique Giorgio Armani in the Atrium shopping mall and brought the long-awaited Shu Uemura brand to the Russian market. Valentina actively uses the Internet space and the latest technology in her work. However, she finds time not only for business but also for family, travel, and hobbies.
4. Olga Belyavtseva
She is a founder of LLC “Company Assol” and LLC “Agronom-Sad,” a member of Board of Directors of the company “Progress Capital” which owns the brand “Frutonyanya.” Olga Belyavtseva remains one of the richest and most mysterious ladies of Russian business since her entire career relates to her native city Lipetsk. She is a real self-made woman who started her career as a packer at a factory at the age of 21.
5. Helen Isaakyan
She is the CEO of Shiseido in Russia. Helen has created a global holding for 6 years, which nowadays represents NARS, Cle de Peau Beaute, Narciso Rodriguez, Issey Miyake, Elie Saab, Alaia, Tsubaki. She has created the beauty industry in Russia from scratch. Developing a beauty empire, she lives in airplanes, but she perceives travels as a source of energy. However, she calls her daughter the greatest achievement.
6. Natalya Kasperskaya
She is a President of the group of companies InfoWatch. An information security company in the corporate sector has opened a representative office in Dubai. Natalya has made a great job to make InfoWatch a profitable business. By the time she bought her company, the experience at Kaspersky Lab had already turned her into a virtual policeman who is ready to do more than others to achieve success.
7. Marina Sitnina
She is a Vice President of Gazprombank, the CEO of Art Finance. Marina continues to oversee the corporate collection of contemporary Russian art. She was one of the originators of a new investment direction for Russia the so-called “art banking” because she agrees with the common practice in the West to invest in art, and she considers this a manifestation of social responsibility. Supporting artists whose works have not yet received the “historical verdict,” the bank and Sitnina personally give them a big advance.
8. Valentina Stanovova
She is the CEO of Capital Group. At the MIPIM 2017 exhibition in Cannes, Valentina told how to minimize the credit load by attracting partner financing. The development company that had been entrusted to her became a living example since it survived both crises without freezing any projects. Mrs. Stanovova considers herself a happy person, but she jokes that she wouldn’t have married if she hadn’t met her husband before joining Capital Group.
9. Aizel Trudel
She is a founder of AIZEL Group. Aizel has brought together a personalized online store, a concept store, pastry shops, and Ladure restaurant as well as boutiques of iconic brands, creating AIZEL Group. Trudel was the first who entered the marketplace with Prada and Miu Miu, and her company is considered the exclusive online seller of Gucci in Russia.
10. Alice Chumachenko
She is an online games developer, founder, and the CEO of Gosu.ai. Her new project, Game Insight is a global training platform for gamers and cybersports men based on artificial intelligence. A virtual assistant will help the player improve by analyzing their game. Alice believes that the main thing is to do well what you like.
Editorial Team