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Andrey KobolevUkrainian entrepreneur, Chairman of the Board of NAK Naftogaz of Ukraine
Date of Birth: 16.08.1978
Country:  Ukraine |
Content:
- Early Life and Education
- Career at PricewaterhouseCoopers and AYA Capital
- Naftogaz Ukraine
- Appointment as CEO:
- Stockholm Arbitration Case:
- Tax Fine and Controversies:
- Legal Challenges and Allegations:
- Contract Extension and Performance:
- Public Perception and Awards:
- Income and Assets
- Personal Life
Early Life and Education
Andriy Kobolev, a Ukrainian businessman, was born in Kyiv. In 2000, he earned a Master's degree in International Economic Relations from the Institute of International Relations at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.
Career at PricewaterhouseCoopers and AYA Capital
From 1999 to 2002, Kobolev worked as a management consulting advisor at PricewaterhouseCoopers' Ukrainian branch. In 2010, he became a partner in the private investment banking group, AYA Capital.
Naftogaz Ukraine
Early Career:In 2002, Kobolev joined Naftogaz Ukraine as a Senior Specialist in the Economics and Pricing Policy Department. He subsequently held the positions of Director of the Corporate Finance and Pricing Policy Department (2006-2007) and Advisor to the Chairman of the Board (2008-2010).
Appointment as CEO:
On March 26, 2014, Kobolev was appointed Chairman of the Board of Naftogaz Ukraine during a meeting of the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers. On October 10, 2014, he was elected Head of the Supervisory Board of Ukrnafta.
Stockholm Arbitration Case:
From 2014 to February 2018, Naftogaz under Kobolev's leadership engaged in disputes with Gazprom regarding natural gas transit. The Stockholm Arbitration awarded Ukraine $2.56 billion in compensation but dismissed most of Naftogaz's claims for overpayment on gas and reduced the price of fuel received by Naftogaz in Q2 2014. Kobolev hailed the ruling as positive for Ukraine.
Tax Fine and Controversies:
In February 2018, the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine fined Kobolev 8.3 billion hryvnias for violating customs regulations. In July 2018, Naftogaz Ukraine's security service upgraded Kobolev's security, purchasing a Cadillac Escalade SUV instead of a Toyota Highlander. Ukrainian media reported that Kobolev had received threats to his life and health during his tenure at Naftogaz.
Legal Challenges and Allegations:
In September 2018, Kobolev was fined 1.7 thousand hryvnias for refusing to provide information to a Verkhovna Rada deputy about individuals who received bonuses for the Stockholm Arbitration ruling. In October 2018, he stated that Ukraine's development level was below average and called for creating a market with active competition for capital.
In March 2019, Kobolev claimed Naftogaz Ukraine had won a case in a Hague arbitration tribunal for damages from Russia related to asset losses in Crimea, estimated at $5 billion. However, legal experts noted that the Ukrainian side could not be considered victorious.
Contract Extension and Performance:
In March 2019, the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers extended Kobolev's contract for another year, setting a target for Naftogaz to increase its own natural gas production by 10% to 18.3 billion cubic meters. Naftogaz refused to release a copy of Kobolev's contract due to the presence of personal data.
Public Perception and Awards:
In August 2018, a poll commissioned by the International Republican Institute ranked Kobolev second among Ukrainian politicians with the highest negative ratings. On October 26, 2018, he was awarded the Order of Saint Andrew the First-Called II Degree by the head of the unrecognized Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kyiv Patriarchate.
Income and Assets
Kobolev's salary in 2016 increased 17.5 times compared to the previous year, reaching 19,323,044 hryvnias. In 2017, Naftogaz board members received 127.7 million hryvnias in bonuses, including 47.1 million for Kobolev. The Ukrainian Prosecutor's Office opened criminal proceedings for these bonuses, but in July 2018, Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko announced that Kobolev would not be prosecuted.
In May 2017, Ukrainian journalists published details of Kobolev's employment contract, which stipulated a severance payment in the amount of 12 months' average salary in cases of involuntary termination by the Ukrainian Government. In 2018, Kobolev transferred a substantial portion of his bonus—around 8 billion hryvnias—to his mother, who had been living in the United States since 2006 or 2008. He cited fears of asset seizure due to ongoing legal proceedings.
Personal Life
Andriy Kobolev was married to Zoryana Kozyak from December 27, 2003, until 2017. They divorced in September 2017. Kobolev and Zoryana have three daughters.
