Andrey Rappoport Russian businessman, president of the Skolkovo business school and first deputy chairman of the board of Rusnano OJSC Date of Birth: 22.06.1963 Country: Russia

Biography of Andrey Rappoport

Andrey Nathanovich Rappoport was born on June 22, 1963, in Novaya Kakhovka, Kherson Oblast, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union. He was enlisted in the Soviet Army in 1981 and served in the Tula Airborne Division until 1983. Rappoport enrolled at Donetsk State University, majoring in Economic Planning, and graduated with a degree in Economics in 1989.

In 1991, Andrey responded to an advertisement in the "Komsomolskaya Pravda" newspaper seeking a new manager. Despite his lack of experience in the banking sector, Rappoport had ambitious plans to create the first major Ukrainian commercial bank. He even approached Viktor Yanukovych, the CEO of "Uglepromtrans" at the time, for financial support, but was turned down. However, Rappoport was entrusted with leading the construction of a large investment empire, which later expanded to include a client bank. From 1991 to 1996, he served as the Chairman of the Board of "Alfa-Bank".

After "Alfa" lost a collateral auction for the sale of Yukos against Menatep, Rappoport joined Mikhail Khodorkovsky's team in 1997. He served as the Vice President of "Yukos-Rosprom" until 1998, partly due to the internal competition encouraged by Khodorkovsky within the company.

In 1998, when Boris Brevnov was removed from RAO "UES of Russia," Rappoport decided to take his place. Working alongside Anatoly Chubais, Rappoport faced numerous challenges in the form of defaults, non-payments, and settlements. Although initially appointed as the First Deputy for Investments, his main task was to collect debts for electricity. Rappoport traveled to regions where he was met with protest signs and even pelted with apples. He was sent to handle the most conflict-prone areas, relying on his military background. In some cases, he traveled to the North Caucasus and the Far East accompanied by two platoons of armed guards. The situation became so dire that armored vehicles and helicopters had to provide him and his team with protection, and they had to make their way back through the forest.

In response to the chronic energy crisis, Rappoport resorted to extreme measures, leaving entire regions and even nations without electricity. He was also tasked with resolving the debt owed by the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) to RAO, and he managed to cover a significant portion of the $800 million debt with shares. This led to the establishment of a new subsidiary of RAO, called "Inter RAO UES," with Rappoport as its head. By the end of 2005, "Inter RAO" had a profit of $700 million.

Rappoport served as a member of the Board of OAO RAO "UES of Russia" from 2004 to 2008 and as the Chairman of the Board of OAO "FSK EES" from 2002 to 2009. After leaving the energy sector, he became the head of the Moscow School of Management "Skolkovo" in 2011. On June 4, 2012, he was reappointed as the First Deputy of Anatoly Chubais in OAO "RUSNANO" (Russian Corporation of Nanotechnology). Rappoport humorously stated that he joined "RUSNANO" to see where the $4 billion had been invested. Currently, the state corporation "RUSNANO" is working on 90 different projects.

Andrey Nathanovich is married, with two children. He enjoys fishing, hunting, and has an interest in philosophy and history. From a young age, Rappoport played tennis and achieved the title of Master of Sports in speed shooting with a pistol. He also favors Ukrainian cuisine. In 2009, Rappoport received an award from the Government of the Russian Federation for his invaluable contribution to the field of science and technology, specifically for the development of a highly efficient cryogenic system.