Former Deputy Minister of Communications Moves to Acronis
Two weeks after stepping down as Deputy Minister of Communications, Mark Shmulevich has confirmed that he will take up a position in the private sector as Strategic and Operational Director at Acronis
Jul 03, 2014
Shmulevich joined the Ministry of Communications in July 2012. His appointment was one of the first personnel decisions made by Nikolai Nikiforov, shortly before he became the Minister of Communications. Shmulevich was tasked with the development of the IT industry in a position created for him by Nikiforov. Shmulevich took the ministry in a new direction, helping to develop the IT industry, one of the most successful non-resource sectors of the Russian economy.
Ministry spokesman Dmitry Zakharov said that Shmulevich was behind the ministry’s "Strategy of the information technology industry in Russia for the period 2014-2020, and up to 2025," implemented an initiative to give small IT companies with a staff of seven or more employees access to tax incentives, was instrumental in getting a law passed that made it easier for Russian companies to employ foreign specialists and drafted a law allowing companies to grant stock options to employees.
Shmulevich arrived at the Ministry of Communications from a post as Director of Development with the Russian Quantum Centre, which is engaged in fundamental research in quantum technologies. He was also responsible for government relations at the Runa Capital investment fund.
Founder and senior partner of Runa Capital Sergei Beloussov is also the founder and CEO of Acronis and chairman of the board at the Russian Quantum Centre, which is one of Runa Capital’s investment projects. When Shmulevich began working for the Ministry of Communications, Beloussov called his chief merit his established contacts with foreign scientists, government officials and research institutions.
Acronis now expects Shmulevich to increase the efficiency of research and development, as well as strengthen ties with research centers, said a company spokesperson.
Acronis will be relying on Shmulevich to establish closer ties between business and education, and sees both Russian and foreign research centers as potential partners. According Shmulevich and Beloussov, the company will soon begin cooperating with MIT as well as the Carnegie Mellon, Oxford and Harvard universities. Russian research centers in which Acronis has expressed interest in developing closer ties include MIPT and Novosibirsk State University as well as universities in Tomsk, Kazan and St. Petersburg.
Ministry spokesman Dmitry Zakharov said that Shmulevich was behind the ministry’s "Strategy of the information technology industry in Russia for the period 2014-2020, and up to 2025," implemented an initiative to give small IT companies with a staff of seven or more employees access to tax incentives, was instrumental in getting a law passed that made it easier for Russian companies to employ foreign specialists and drafted a law allowing companies to grant stock options to employees.
Shmulevich arrived at the Ministry of Communications from a post as Director of Development with the Russian Quantum Centre, which is engaged in fundamental research in quantum technologies. He was also responsible for government relations at the Runa Capital investment fund.
Founder and senior partner of Runa Capital Sergei Beloussov is also the founder and CEO of Acronis and chairman of the board at the Russian Quantum Centre, which is one of Runa Capital’s investment projects. When Shmulevich began working for the Ministry of Communications, Beloussov called his chief merit his established contacts with foreign scientists, government officials and research institutions.
Acronis now expects Shmulevich to increase the efficiency of research and development, as well as strengthen ties with research centers, said a company spokesperson.
Acronis will be relying on Shmulevich to establish closer ties between business and education, and sees both Russian and foreign research centers as potential partners. According Shmulevich and Beloussov, the company will soon begin cooperating with MIT as well as the Carnegie Mellon, Oxford and Harvard universities. Russian research centers in which Acronis has expressed interest in developing closer ties include MIPT and Novosibirsk State University as well as universities in Tomsk, Kazan and St. Petersburg.