AVTOVAZ new president

MAKSIM SOKOLOV WAS CONFIRMED IN OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT OF AVTOVAZ

BoD of AVTOVAZ JSC, the largest Russian carmaker, the main shareholders of which are the Russian Federation (represented by FSUE “NAMI”) and the state corporation Rostec, unanimously decided to confirm Maksim Sokolov in office of the President of AVTOVAZ JSC. The decision went into effect on May 23, 2022.

The Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov: “In the near-term, AVTOVAZ will have to do major and hard work. Th new products will be developed on the Russian platforms, using Russian engineering competencies and with maximum involvement of Russian component suppliers – this is the strategic decision. Its implementation will require total efficiency of the management and the team of the company. I’m sure that Maksim Sokolov’s managerial experience and business proficiency will help him solve the tasks set. At the same time, he can count on the full support of the MIT of Russia and the Russian Central Research and Development Automobile and Engine Institute, called NAMI, which is now the shareholder of AVTOVAZ”.

CEO of the state corporation “Rostec” Sergey Chemezov: “LADA brand cars are the absolute leaders on the Russian market. The company now faces difficult tasks related to import substitution and the development of promising lineup in new conditions. I’m confident that Maksim Sokolov’s experience will help the company overcome the external influence, preserve the working team and provide for the development of the LADA brand and the whole passenger car industry as strong and independent industry of the country”.

“I’m glad to join the AVTOVAZ’s multi thousand team and say thanks the country’s leadership and shareholders for the trust, – President of AVTOVAZ Maksim Sokolov said. – More than 50 years the company has been leading in development and production of domestic passenger cars and the LADA brand is known to everyone in Russia and other countries. In the difficult conditions of external influence and sanctions pressure, I consider the company’s headcount preservation, job providing and the fulfillment of social commitments to employees as the primary objective. We will step-by-step develop engineering competencies and make import substitution. The main goal for us is to develop the suppliers’ base as soon as possible – first of all, Russian ones, many of which are located in the Samara region and in the Volga Federal district. The LADA brand will keep on developing and delighting its fans with new cars. I want to separately thank all the colleagues from the Administration and Government of Saint Petersburg and personally the Governor Aleksander Dmitrevich Beglov for join work. We have done a lot together out beloved city to get better and more comfortable”.

Maksim Yurevich Sokolov was born on September 29, 1969, in Leningrad. In 1991 he graduated with honors from the Leningrad State University (LSU) with a degree in economics, at the same time in 1989-1991 he studied at the LSU on lawyer. In 1991-1993, he worked as a lecturer of history of economics and macroeconomics at St. Petersburg State University. In 2008 he defended his PhD, and since 2011 he has been a lecturer, head of the Department of State and Municipal Administration of the Higher School of Management of St. Petersburg State University. In the period from 1994 to 2004, he was the CEO of CJSC “Rossi“, then – the CEO of LLC “Corporation S“. In 2004, he joined the administration of St. Petersburg as the Head of the Committee for Investments and Strategic Projects of the Municipal government. In this position, he attracted a large pool of automotive investors to the region: Toyota, Nissan, Hyundai, GM, as well as Chinese investors. At the end of 2009, he was appointed the Director of the Department for Industry фnd Infrastructure of the Government of the Russian Federation. In May 2012, he was appointed as the Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation, where he worked until 2018. In 2018-2019, he held senior positions in PJSC LSR Group. At the end of 2019, he was appointed as the Vice-Governor of St. Petersburg, where he oversaw the Committees for the Development of Transport Infrastructure, Tourism, Transport, Investment and the Committee for Industrial Policy, Innovation and Trade of St. Petersburg.