Vladimir Yevtushenkov (Владимир Петрович Евтушенков) was born on Sept. 25, 1948, in the Smolensk region.

Education: Mendeleyev Chemical Engineering Institute, 1973. Economics, Moscow State University, 1980. Ph.D. economics, Moscow State University, 1986.

1975-1982: Deputy director and chief engineer at the Karacharovo Plastics Works

1982-1987: Chief engineer and subsequently first deputy general director of the Polymerbyt Scientific and Production Association

1987-1990: Worked for the Moscow City Executive Committee in various capacities. (Yevtushenkov's friend, future Mayor Yury Luzhkov, was then first deputy chairman of the committee.)

1990-1993: Chairman of the city's committee on science and engineering. He acquired this post after Luzhkov became chairman of the executive committee.

1993: Founded Sistema with several partners

1993-1995, 2005-present: President of Sistema

2005: Sistema's IPO on the London Stock Exchange

1994-2005, 2006-present: Chairman of the board of Sistema

Yevtushenkov is the majority shareholder of Sistema, which has interests in some 200 companies.

In 2011, Forbes estimated Yevtushenkov's net wealth at $7.7 billion, making him the 20th wealthiest person in Russia and the 120th wealthiest person in the world (source).

Yevtushenkov has been a member of the board of directors of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs since 2000 and has also sat on the board of directors of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry since 2002. He is also a member of the Government Commission on Science and Innovation Policy, the Russian President’s Council on Science and High Technology, and the National Council on Corporate Governance. Since 2004 he has served as chairman of the Council of Trustees of the Development Fund for the State Russian Museum.