Smushkin Zakhar Davidovich was born on January 23, 1962 in St. Petersburg. Smushkin spent his childhood in St. Petersburg, where he attended high school and studied at a university. In his youth, the future entrepreneur was an example for many of his peers, distinguished by his cultural manner of communication, responsibility and extraordinary determination. Zakhar Smushkin studied excellently, without causing problems to his parents.
The biography of Zakhar Smushkin is a clear example of how a man from an ordinary family, thanks to patience and intelligence, achieved extraordinary heights in his life. Smushkin's main achievements are impressive:
- Founded the Ilim Pulp company, holds the position of Chairman of the Board of Directors,
- He is a member of the Presidium of the Russian Community of Entrepreneurs,
- He is an honorary doctor of the St. Petersburg State Forestry University named after S. M. Kirov,
- He is an honorary professor at the St. Petersburg State Technological University of Plant Polymers,
- He was included in the ranking of the most successful businessmen (Smushkin was given an honorable 37th place). In terms of capital, it is ranked 52nd.
Education
There were many alternatives for choosing a future profession, but Zakhar Davidovich Smushkin chose the Institute of Pulp and Paper Industry.
As a result, Zakhar Smushkin went to submit documents. Studying at this university predetermined the choice of future work. Smushkin was a capable student, so in 1984, upon completion of his studies, he decided to continue his studies in graduate school, from which he graduated with the status of a candidate of technical sciences.
It was during his studies that Zakhar Smushkin gained his first experience in the paper industry, as he combined his postgraduate studies with activities at the NPO Gidrolizprom, where he was a researcher. In the early nineties, he began to move up the career ladder at the Soviet-Swedish company Technoferm-Engineering, which became the impetus for his further success.
Business
The biography of Zakhar Smushkin as an entrepreneur started in 1992, when, at the time of the collapse of the Soviet Union, he, in the company of his classmates Mikhail and Boris Zingarevich, created the company Ilim Pulp Enterprise, specializing in the export of paper goods abroad.
The strategy was successful and soon Smushkin Zakhar Davidovich earned his first capital by starting to invest in the development of his small enterprise at that time. Subsequently, he managed to turn it into a large timber industry holding, which gradually included thirty domestic companies involved in logging. During the first eight years, the entrepreneur was the head of the Kotlas pulp and paper mill, the Ust-Ilimsk timber industry concern and the Bratsk forestry complex. Due to his professional qualities and hard work, these enterprises began to develop rapidly. Over time, the tycoon became a member of the Bureau of the Board of the Union of Entrepreneurs and Industrialists of the Russian Federation, where he heads the Russian Forestry Commission.
However, Smushkin did not stop at creating the country’s largest timber corporation. Therefore, the talented entrepreneur at the same time decided to try himself in the retail sector, creating the Domovoy supermarket chain in St. Petersburg, which sells small household appliances and household goods.
In addition to the forestry industry, Zakhar Smushkin also specializes in construction. He runs the Start Development company, which is currently engaged in the construction of the satellite city “Yuzhny” in St. Petersburg. The buildings are located on 5.3 million square kilometers of area, four million of which will be allocated for residential buildings for 134 thousand people.
The key achievement of Zakhar Davidovich as a businessman was the stable development of the Ilim Pulp holding, which managed to maintain the scale of production despite the economic crisis. At the end of 2015, the corporation received revenue of two billion.
In 1996-1998, Zakhar Smushkin was a member of the VTB Supervisory Board. In 1997, he received a seat on the board of directors:
- Bratsk LPK;
- timber industry concern in Ust-Ilimsk.
In addition, he chaired the CPPM, and since 2001, the Ilim Group. In 2004, Zakhar Davidovich was elected to the leadership of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, and in 2007 he became the head of the board of directors of Ilim Group.
Like any prominent figure, a businessman has competitors. For several years he has been worthy of competition with Oleg Deripaska, not inferior to him in ratings. However, competition did not prevent Smushkin from taking the right course of management and leading his enterprise onto the right path of development, which would have a beneficial effect on the Russian economy. At the moment, OJSC Ilim Group is not only the largest Russian association of forest industry enterprises, but also the most technically developed and environmentally oriented.
How the billionaire's fortune changed in 2016
Zakhar Smushkin was given an honorable 6th place in the “Rating of Billionaires of the Russian Federation 2016”. His fortune is estimated at 108 billion rubles.
The businessman owns assets (as of 2016):
- Ilim Group
- “Start development”
- Retail chain “Domovoy”
Future plans
Smushkin considers optimizing control over companies and improving their financial performance to be his key areas of activity. Zakhar Davidovich also plans to restructure the holding by bringing it to the stock market. All of these ideas include maintaining openness and transparency. Smushkin Zakhar Davidovich firmly believes that the future of his companies is in good hands, and their purpose within the country is global and significant. A company's early entry into the stock market will help achieve new goals and is a very profitable prospect. Today we have already managed to prepare a plan for further development, which will lead to new changes in the company.
It seems to Zakhar Smushkin that the holding is expecting a reorientation from the geographical principle to product lines. In addition, the entrepreneur continues to develop all important areas, planning to buy some European trading companies. A huge number of goods are sent to Asian countries, so it is possible that subsidiaries will be opened there too.
Charity
Zakhar Smushkin has successfully established cooperation with the World Wildlife Fund. In 2012, his company entered into an agreement with the fund, according to which the Ilim Pulp enterprise voluntarily refused to harvest wood from unique forests, the number of which is rapidly declining on the planet. The parties to the agreement initially agreed on the boundaries of the territory (the Verkhnevashkinsky forest area, located in the Arkhangelsk region, cannot be used for industrial purposes). Today the company leases these lands. However, until the end of the agreement, a ban on logging in these places was introduced.
Personal life
In addition to the development of the timber industry in the Russian Federation, Zakhar Davidovich is interested in intellectual games such as chess. In addition, he really likes tennis.
Zakhar Smushkin’s passion for painting is also known. He owns a collection of famous artists from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, among whom the entrepreneur especially singles out Mikhail Vrubel. In 2016, in the Forbes ranking, the businessman was in 114th place among the richest domestic entrepreneurs. Zakhar Davidovich's fortune is estimated at $750 million.
Zakhar Smushkin is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of OJSC Ilim Group, the founder and head of the construction company Start Development and the Domovoy supermarket chain.
Childhood and education
From a young age, he was distinguished by perseverance and perseverance, succeeded in school, which distinguished him from most of his peers and made him a good example for them. In 1984 he entered the Leningrad Institute of Pulp and Paper Industry, and this choice predetermined his future fate as a specialist. Having received a diploma of higher education, he decided not to stop there and continued his studies in graduate school. He successfully combined writing a PhD thesis with work in his specialty.
Labor activity
After defending his PhD thesis, he easily got a job at NPO Gidroilizprom as a research assistant.
In 1990, the young specialist, already having impressive work experience for his age, moved to the large international enterprise Technofirm-Engineering to the post of head of the technical department. In many respects, the company owes it to him for the introduction of innovations and further successful attraction of investments.
Having secured the support of the aforementioned Technofirm-Engineering and the Zingarevich brothers, colleagues and former classmates, in 1992 Smushkin founded the Ilim company. At first, it was engaged in exporting cellulose abroad in small volumes, however, thanks to the management skills of the founder, the company was able to accumulate impressive capital in a short time, retraining itself as a forest industry enterprise.
Ilim and the development of the Russian economy
Over the course of several years, the company acquired more than 30 pulp mills. The largest of them were the Kotlas Pulp and Paper Mill (purchased in 1994) and the Ust-Ilimsk Timber Processing Plant (in 2000).
Zakhar Davidovich played a big role in the restoration and development of the entire industry. In the 90s (after the collapse of the USSR), all acquired enterprises were in a deplorable state, actually on the verge of bankruptcy. Thanks to their joining the Ilim holding, it was possible to save not only jobs, but also the industry as a whole, and even increase its efficiency, which had a positive impact on the development of the entire Northwestern District of Russia.
In addition, during the period of active development of the holding (from 1996 to 1998), the businessman was on the supervisory board of VTB (Vneshtorgbank). This experience allowed him to increase his knowledge in the field of economics and finance, which also had a positive impact on the management of the young and promising company Ilim. In 2001, he was included in the council of experts on economic development and investment under the plenipotentiary representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Northwestern Federal District.
About the holding
At the moment it is the largest cellulose production enterprise not only in Russia, but also in Europe. The annual harvest of raw wood amounts to more than 10 million cubic meters. And the volumes of boxboard, cellulose and raw wood harvested annually are 77%, 75% and 10%, respectively. Ilim, with its activities and innovative management mechanisms, had a huge impact on the formation and development of the economy in the Russian timber industry in the context of the transition from a planned to a market model.
The holding almost completely satisfies the demand for products on the domestic market, while it is also export-oriented: it actively cooperates with Asian countries, in particular with the People's Republic of China. The holding's export of bleached softwood and hardwood pulp satisfies one third of the country's total needs for this product (remember that the population of China in 2015 is more than 1.5 billion people).
In addition, Ilim is a leader in the introduction of innovations, not only of a technological nature, but also financial and managerial. Therefore, even despite the crisis, the holding successfully maintains and increases positive dynamics in all production and financial indicators, while remaining as transparent as possible for control: both environmental, civil and financial.
As the head of the largest forest industry enterprise, Mr. Smushkin understands the importance of compliance with international environmental norms and standards. As a member of the Council for the Development of the Forestry Complex under the Government of the Russian Federation, he actively contributes to its activities by making recommendations regarding the development and improvement of the state of forest resources of the Russian Federation. His company also contributes in every possible way to international initiatives regarding environmental protection, which is important for the largest timber industry holding. Thus, according to Smushkin himself, one of the company’s priorities is to achieve a positive balance between planting and deforestation.
It is noteworthy that in 2012, Ilim began cooperation with the International Fund for Conservation of Nature, known to most as WWF. On a voluntary basis, Mr. Smushkin took control of the enterprise over a huge territory in the Leningrad region, called the Verkhnevashkinsky forest area. This area is not protected from logging in any way at the legislative level in the Russian Federation, however, it is of great interest in the world community as it has virtually no analogues in the world. The company, on the personal instructions of Zakhar Davidovich and as part of charity, leases it, and the lease agreement contains a moratorium clause on logging of this territory. For such a large enterprise as Ilim, this is not just a gesture of goodwill, it is a conscious step towards achieving a balance between the resources people consume and its growth, which is very rare these days.
Expert and teaching activities
In addition to managerial and specialized skills, Mr. Smushkin has both a certain courage and a spirit of innovation. It was he who first applied the technology of vertical integration of enterprises on the territory of the Russian Federation, which had a positive effect on the economy, which was undergoing an emergency restructuring under the conditions of a market model. Now the manager shares the acquired knowledge and developed technologies that have proven their effectiveness through personal example.
As a member of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, he is engaged in the implementation of his own developed mechanisms of vertical integration as a tool to bring the industry out of stagnation, and as a member of the Council for the Development of the Forestry Complex under the Government of the Russian Federation, he actively forms and makes recommendations regarding the development and increase of the forest wealth of Russia. Dmitry Medvedev has repeatedly noted him as one of the most valuable specialists in the forestry industry.
In addition, he participates in the education of young specialists in the timber industry. At the State Technological University of Plant Polymers and at the St. Petersburg State Forestry University named after S. M. Kirov, where he has the status of honorary doctor and professor, he acts as a lecturer on a permanent basis. As part of its educational activities, it contributes to the modernization of student training programs in accordance with the latest international requirements, and also provides students preparing to pass their final qualification work with places for internship at the enterprises of its group of companies.
Member of the Presidium of the Russian Entrepreneurial Society.
Other business projects
In 2007, the timber industry holding Ilim carried out a restructuring into OJSC Ilim Group, the chairman of the board of directors of which is still Zakhar Davidovich. Thanks to these changes in the structure of the enterprise, the businessman found funds for two more successful projects that he opened in the same year:
- Domovoy supermarket chain
(7 branches at the moment), specializing in the sale of goods for the home, everyday life and light repairs.
- construction company "Start Development"
, which is currently leading the largest construction projects in the Leningrad region.
The most famous project of “Start Development” is the satellite city “Yuzhny”, located in the Pushkinsky district of St. Petersburg and amazing in its scope. For construction, a territory with a total area of more than 2,012 hectares was purchased on both sides along the Kyiv highway, also called the M-20 highway. The project plans to construct residential real estate (4.9 million sq. m.), designed for at least 170 thousand people, as well as commercial real estate (1.5 million sq. m.), which is designed to create at least 60 thousand jobs . Already at this stage, investment in the project amounts to more than 209 billion rubles.
The entire construction of the satellite city “Yuzhny” will take 19 years. In such a short period of time (by the standards of the construction of an entire city), Smushkin plans not only to carry out the construction of residential and commercial space, but also to create a full-fledged innovative social and transport infrastructure. Thus, the construction of residential buildings will be accompanied by the construction of at least 60 kindergartens, 30 schools, and 10 wide-profile medical centers. And as part of the development of ITMO University, the “Foreign City of Science and Technology” will be built.
Zakhar Smushkin’s project is unique in its own way. The plan initially involves the creation of a full-fledged city: with its own infrastructure, jobs, recreational areas and even a “silicon valley” in miniature, which Inograd at ITMO is intended to become. Moreover, almost half of the territory - a thousand hectares - has been allocated for the location of a production cluster in the field of innovation. As the manager himself notes, the arrangement of the living space will not be complete without the introduction of innovations - it will be as comfortably integrated with the environment as possible. So, for example, part of the electricity that meets the needs of the city will be created by solar panels, and electric buses will become municipal transport, and their arrival can be tracked using mobile applications. Most of the living space is aimed at people with average incomes, and the projected population density will be half that of St. Petersburg.
In the summer of 2016, it became known that the first stage of development (an area of 200 hectares) would be sold to one developer, and not to a pool, as previously planned. This method of implementing the project was not chosen by Smushkin by chance and is due to some important points. For example, with one developer it will be much easier to agree on the concept of construction and sales, and the architecture of the buildings being built. On the allocated site, the selected developer will have to build a property with an area of 1 million square meters within five years. m.
In addition, he is involved in the implementation of several other projects. The second largest after the satellite city "Yuzhny" is the industrial park "Doni-Verevo". It is located in the Gatchina district of St. Petersburg. Manufacturing and logistics enterprises will be located on an area of 185 hectares.
In total, Start Development owns 40 million square meters. m. The company also has smaller-scale projects, for example, “Tayberry” and “Golden Keys”, intended for the development of summer cottages and the construction of low-rise residential buildings in the Gatchinsky and Pushkinsky districts of St. Petersburg.
The head of the company personally pays attention to solving and discussing issues and areas related to construction. At the II International Forum of Spatial Development, held on September 26-27, 2016 in St. Petersburg, Mr. Smushkin formed and voiced the concept of urban development, as well as the accompanying specific model for the development of economic centers. According to Zakhar Davidovich, the Northern capital is developing along the path of polycentrism. This is due to the active implementation of such large projects as the satellite city “Yuzhny” in the Pushkinsky district and the public and business complex “Lakhta-Center” in Primorsky, located in the south and north, respectively. This effect will be achieved, first of all, due to the presence in the plans of projects that will provide jobs for a huge number of people.
Zakhar Davidovich Smushkin is not just a successful businessman, an expert in his field and an effective manager, his activities help develop the economy of the region and the country as a whole, and at the same time he actively develops and modernizes the areas related to this activity: ecology, urban planning, entrepreneurship, education of young people generations - based on their own example.
In Russia, Smushkin ranks sixth in the ranking of billionaires, 37th in the ranking of the most successful businessmen and 52nd in terms of capital. The American magazine Forbes placed him in 114th place in the list of the richest businessmen in Russia.
Personal life: family and hobbies
As Zakhar Smushkin himself notes, when running a business, it is very important not to forget about your spiritual development. Thus, he collects paintings by Russian artists of the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. On November 12, 2016, an exhibition of Japanese art from the Meiji era opened in the Small Hermitage, provided by the businessman himself from his personal collection, which he carefully collected over a long time. At the end of the exhibition, the collection will be moved to the museum of the satellite city "Yuzhny", where it will be on permanent display.
Despite such active and varied activities, he does not forget about the most important thing in life - family. Together with his wife, they are raising a son; family hobbies include chess and tennis.
Zakhar Smushkin was born in Leningrad on January 23, 1962. After graduating from school, he entered the Leningrad Technological Institute for a specialty degree, and in 1984 – to graduate school. Around the same period, the institute sent Smushkin to work at the Gidrolizprom research and production association as a research assistant. In parallel with his work at the NGO, he is writing his Ph.D. thesis. Upon completion of graduate school, Zakhar Smushkin receives a scientific degree - Candidate of Technical Sciences.
In 1990, Smushkin, already possessing sufficient qualifications and experience, was hired as head of the technical department at the international company Technoferm-Engineering. In his position, Zakhar Smushkin managed to modernize the production process in a short time. Subsequently, thanks to this, Technoferm was able to attract large investors. Working in this company allowed Smushkin to study the timber industry in even more detail, after which he decided to start his own business.
In 1992, Smushkin Zakhar Davidovich, together with former classmates and colleagues at Technoferm-Engineering - brothers Mikhail and Boris Zingarevich - founded Ilim Pulp Enterprise CJSC. In the new company, Smushkin took the position of general director. The company was created as an exporter of pulp and paper products, but soon the management decided that it was necessary to open its own production.
The company's rapid growth is due to the fact that in the first years of operation several important transactions were concluded to purchase large forestry enterprises. Among them are the Kotlas pulp and paper mill, acquired and merged with Ilim in 1995, as well as the forestry complexes: Bratsk and Ust-Ilimsk, which became part of the company in 1997 and 2002, respectively.
In turn, Zakhar Smushkin, while in a leadership position, followed innovations in the field of management, and introduced the most effective methods at Ilim enterprises. Thus, he was the first in Russia to use a method of vertical integration of enterprises, which allows for complete control of the production cycle - from resource extraction to the sale of final products, while management remains centralized.
Among other things, vertical integration ensured the coordinated operation of a large number of production enterprises affiliated with Ilim; their financial and technical indicators showed positive dynamics.
This played an important role in the development of Zakhar Smushkin’s company: by the early 2000s, it took a leading position in Russia in the pulp and paper products market, and also entered the international market.
In 2007, in order to improve the management efficiency of a large number of enterprises, Ilim’s management decided to carry out restructuring. As a result of the restructuring, Ilim Pulp Enterprise CJSC became the Ilim Group Joint Stock Company, where Zakhar Smushkin moved from the post of General Director to the post of Chairman of the Board of Directors. He remains in this position to this day.
Best of the day
Now the Ilim Group consists of 5 large production enterprises and 4 representative offices, one of which is located in China, since the company’s exports are focused specifically on the Asian market.
Ilim enterprises employ more than 17 thousand people; the company produces 75% of the pulp in Russia.
Smushkin Zakhar Davidovich, as the head of the company, exercises strict control over compliance with environmental standards - both Russian and international. This is especially important given the scale of Ilim’s production activities.
The company takes part in the implementation of various environmental protection projects. In addition, each individual plant implements its own targeted environmental programs, regardless of the planned ones.
Since 2012, Ilim enterprises have not carried out production in the territories of unique forests that are not protected by Russian legislation. This happens within the framework of the company’s agreement with the World Wildlife Fund - WWF.
One of these forests was taken under the guardianship of the company by personal order of Zakhar Smushkin. The Verkhnevashkinsky massif in the Arkhangelsk region has been preserved for several years now, since Ilim leases its territory, while introducing a moratorium on logging.
Also, all enterprises of the Ilim Group maintain a positive balance when developing territories - the number of trees planted corresponds to the number of trees cut down, which allows maintaining the growth of forest areas.
At the end of 2017, Zakhar Davidovich Smushkin and the company he heads received an award from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment “for active environmental policy in the Year of Ecology.”
Ilim, under the leadership of Smushkin, has been a leader in terms of production volumes not only in Russia, but also in Europe for more than 20 years. Despite global market fluctuations, the company manages to maintain positive dynamics in terms of production and financial indicators.
Other entrepreneurial activities of Zakhar Smushkin
In 2007, several important events occurred in the career of Zakhar Smushkin. After the restructuring of Ilim, he moved to the post of chairman of the board of directors. Almost at the same time, Smushkin opened a business in two more areas: development and retail.
LLC “Management Company “START Development”, created by Zakhar Smushkin in 2007, has already implemented many residential and commercial real estate projects; as of 2017, its land bank contains more than 40 million square meters.
"START Development" is engaged in the comprehensive implementation of construction projects: the formation of an architectural concept, complex development, including the construction of infrastructure facilities, attracting investors, monitoring the implementation of projects.
In addition, the company is engaged in the implementation of procedures related to construction: the creation of land banks, the development of concepts for the development of territories, the preparation of urban planning documentation, and attracting investors.
The construction company of Zakhar Smushkin is a member of the Russian-German Chamber of Commerce, the Russian Guild of Managers and Developers, as well as the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry. START Development has 11 awards, including “Best Management Company of the Year”, “Best Mass Low-Rise Development Project”, “Best Low-Rise Construction Project in the Leningrad Region”, “Best Cottage Village”, “Village of the Year 2013”. In addition, the company received a nomination for providing targeted assistance to children.
Among all the projects implemented by Smushkin’s company, the most famous is the satellite city “Yuzhny”; it has federal significance, since it will become the largest integrated development project in Russia. In addition, an innovation cluster will be built on its territory by decree of Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.
Construction of “Yuzhny” is carried out on an area of 2012 hectares in the Pushkinsky district of St. Petersburg, on both sides of the M20 highway (Kyiv highway). Investments in the project for 2017 exceeded 176 billion rubles, construction will be fully completed within 20 years.
The project is also notable for the fact that its concept was developed according to the principles of “green development”, which involves the integration of infrastructure into the environment with maximum comfort for people and minimal harm to nature. The project is focused on the foreign model of so-called “smart cities”. For example, the coordinated work of all municipal services will be ensured by a single computer system that can adapt to circumstances depending on the needs of residents. Employees of the University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics, on the basis of which a scientific cluster will be created at Yuzhny, are also taking part in the work on drawing up the concept.
Residential buildings with an area of 4.9 million square meters will accommodate more than 170 thousand residents in the satellite city. Also, all the necessary infrastructure will be created for them, including 60 kindergartens, 30 schools, 10 general-purpose family medical centers. All buildings will be designed in the same architectural style, and the cost of the apartments will be for the middle class. In addition, the project provides for the creation of green park areas and bicycle paths. Street lighting will be obtained using solar panels.
The development will be carried out by one large investor. According to Zakhar Smushkin, this is what will allow maintaining a single stylistic concept. Leading world-renowned experts took part in the development of the architectural style.
The commercial construction area will be one and a half million square meters, which will create at least 21 thousand jobs.
The project also provides for the expansion of the existing transport network. In particular, the number of lanes on Kievskoye Highway will be increased. It takes less than 15 kilometers to travel along it from Yuzhny to St. Petersburg. There are also several train stations located within the boundaries of Yuzhny. And Pulkovo International Airport is just 7 minutes away by car.
In addition, the project involves the creation of an innovation cluster on the territory of Yuzhny; it will be called “Innograd of Science and Technology”. The cluster will be created on the basis of ITMO Highpark, a research university of information technologies, mechanics and optics in St. Petersburg.
Innograd will specialize in information, biomedical and quantum technologies, photonics, cyber-physical systems and robotics, as well as in the research, creation and testing of technologies in the fields of urbanism and town planning.
The area of Innograd will be 100 hectares, it will house laboratories, research centers, production facilities and a campus. The areas are designed for accommodation and training of 4 thousand students and 3 thousand ITMO employees.
Governor of St. Petersburg Georgy Poltavchenko notes that the Innograd project will combine the efforts of city and federal authorities, science, education and business, as well as industries related to information technology.
More than 41 billion rubles have been invested in the project for the construction of a scientific cluster, 35% of which are private investments. Smushkin Zakhar Davidovich also acts as a private investor.
Nikolai Nikiforov, Minister of Telecom and Mass Communications, believes that Innograd will become the best innovation center in Russia. He also said that federal funding for the scientific cluster in the Pushkinsky district will amount to 1 billion rubles annually.
Also, the development company of Zakhar Smushkin received an award from the newspaper “Business Petersburg” for the most popular industrial park project. The industrial park is called “Donny-Verevo” and is located in the north of St. Petersburg - in the Gatchina district. Its area is 185 hectares, and this territory can accommodate about 30 enterprises specializing in logistics and production.
In addition, “START Development” has already implemented several countryside construction projects: “Tayberry”, “Golden Keys”, as well as plots for dacha development in the Pushkinsky and Gatchina districts of St. Petersburg.
As the head of a large development company, Zakhar Smushkin actively participates in public discussions and conferences on the topic of urban planning. Thus, in September 2016, at the II International Forum for the Development of Space, he voiced a new concept for the development of St. Petersburg. According to Zakhar Smushkin, the development of the city is polycentric, since the two largest and most promising projects are located in different parts of the city - Lakhta Center in Gatchina and the satellite city Yuzhny in the Pushkinsky district. According to Zakhar Davidovich, the projects are the most promising due to their multifunctionality and scale - they attract large volumes of investment, and in the future they will create many jobs.
At the end of 2006, Zakhar Davidovich Smushkin opened the Start hypermarket chain in St. Petersburg. The store has everything you need for minor DIY repairs, home and everyday life - more than 55 thousand items. Currently, it is represented in five regions of Russia and consists of seven branches. Hypermarkets opened in Chelyabinsk, Samara, Ufa and Voronezh.
Personal life and achievements of Zakhar Smushkina
Zakhar Smushkin is a major Russian industrialist, entrepreneur and developer. He founded and currently runs the largest forest industry enterprise in Russia and Europe. The success of Ilim Group is largely ensured by the constant introduction of innovative management technologies, thanks to which the company manages to maintain positive dynamics in terms of technical and financial indicators. In addition, given the scale of production, Ilim follows the principles of environmental friendliness and transparency in its work.
Zakhar Smushkin managed to prove himself as a successful entrepreneur in other areas of business, although very far from the timber industry. His network of construction hypermarkets is represented in five regions, and the development company is leading projects of federal importance. In general, all of Zakhar Davidovich’s entrepreneurial activities have a positive impact on the Russian economy.
Large publications whose topics are devoted to business often include Smushkin in various ratings. Thus, according to Forbes, Zakhar Davidovich is in 114th place on the list of the richest businessmen in Russia. The “Rating of Billionaires,” in turn, placed Smushkin in 6th place with his fortune of 108 billion rubles. And according to the publication “City 812”, Smushkin is one of the three most influential businessmen in St. Petersburg.
Also published in 2014, “the top 100 businessmen who changed the Russian economy” includes Zakhar Smushkin. The rating was compiled by the General Director magazine.
At the end of 2017, the Internet portals Fontanka and City 812 presented a ranking of the most influential people in St. Petersburg. The list was compiled based on a survey of 122 experts. The publications note that by influence they mean the ability to achieve the adoption of the necessary decisions both in their field of activity and outside it, as well as how strongly these decisions influenced the citizens and St. Petersburg itself. In this rating, Zakhar Smushkin was assigned 26th place.
Smushkin also takes an active part in public discussions, the topics of which relate to his entrepreneurial activities. He is a member of the Forestry Development Council under the Russian Government, as well as the Expert Council on Economic Development and Investment under the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Northwestern Federal District.
In addition, Smushkin Zakhar Davidovich has the status of honorary professor at two St. Petersburg universities: Forestry S. M. Kirov and Technological Plant Polymers. In them, Smushkin gives lectures to students, talks about the features of the forestry industry, and shares his own experience in the field of managing a forestry enterprise. Zakhar Smushkin also provides senior students with jobs at enterprises that are members of the Ilim Group - for pre-diploma industrial practice. Smushkin himself graduated from the Leningrad Technological Institute with a scientific degree of Candidate of Technical Sciences.
Zakhar Smushkin is also interested in collecting art. Thus, in 2016, he presented a collection of Japanese art from the Meiji era at the Hermitage. The exhibition featured more than 700 exhibits, all of which Smushkin collected at various auctions over the course of seven years.
In an interview with one of the St. Petersburg publications, Smushkin shared his idea of creating a museum of modern art, where businessmen could exhibit exhibits from their private collections.
The press knows little about the personal life of Zakhar Davidovich, since the Smushkin family leads a modest lifestyle and does not shock the public. He has a wife and son.
Smushkin has several hobbies, such as tennis and chess.
Zakhar Davidovich Smushkin, head of the construction company Start Development, began implementing the first stage of the “smart” satellite city project “Yuzhny”, which will be built in the Pushkinsky district of the Leningrad region.
As it became known in the summer of 2016, the first stage of development with an area of 200 hectares will not be sold in small areas to a pool of developers. Instead, Start Development will choose only one company as the buyer.
According to Zakhar Smushkin’s plan, the selected developer will have to build real estate on this site with a total area of about 1 million square meters. m. for 5 years. At the same time, he will be able to pay for the transaction in installments: first, at his own expense, he will equip the necessary infrastructure, and the rest will be able to be paid during the sale of the residential real estate he has built. In St. Petersburg, this transaction will be the largest in the last few years.
The choice in favor of this method of implementing project stages is due to several reasons. Firstly, it is much easier to agree on the development concept, architecture, and sales strategy with one developer. And secondly, the territory acquired by a large developer makes the neighboring plots more attractive, and, as a result, their price increases.
The project of Zakhar Smushkin - the satellite city "Yuzhny" - should become one of the major economic centers in the Leningrad region. It is worth citing some data to assess the scale: a plot of land was purchased for construction on both sides of the M20 highway - Kievskoe highway, the total area is 2012 hectares; the total area of residential real estate is 4.9 million sq. m. m., it is designed for at least 170 thousand people; the construction of at least 60 pre-school educational institutions, 30 schools, 10 medical centers for the whole family is envisaged; the total area of commercial and industrial real estate is 1.5 million square meters. m., it is designed to create more than 60 thousand jobs; the total investment amounted to 209 billion rubles; The total duration of the project is 19 years.
This project compares favorably with many others being implemented in large cities because of its concept: according to the idea, the city will be low-rise, its space will be comfortably integrated into the environment, and housing will be priced at the middle class level. The population density will be at least half that of the northern capital.
As Zakhar Smushkin noted, when drawing up urban planning policies, one must always remember not only the organization of residential areas, but also infrastructure and jobs. The Yuzhny project has about a thousand hectares, that is, almost half is allocated for the location of an innovative production cluster, a campus at ITMO, and recreational areas.
The “Innograd of Science and Technology” at the St. Petersburg National Research University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics (ITMO) will become a kind of “silicon valley” in miniature: all stages of the production process of innovative products will be carried out there.
The main feature of this project is the extensive introduction of innovations in the organization of living space - part of the electricity will be generated by solar panels, and municipal transport will be electric buses, whose arrival can be tracked using mobile applications.
The construction of an entire city near the northern capital cannot do without the development of infrastructure and transport networks. This aspect is also included in the implementation of the project.
Biography of Zakhar Smushkin
Zakhar Smushkin is one of the most successful businessmen in Russia.
He is primarily known as the founder and chairman of the board of directors of the Ilim pulp and paper concern, the largest not only in the Russian Federation, but also in Europe.
Born in St. Petersburg on January 23, 1962. He received his secondary education here. From childhood, Smushkin was distinguished by his enthusiasm, perseverance, and patience. He studied diligently at school and did not create problems for his parents.
Zakhar Davidovich also decided to continue his education in his hometown; he entered the Leningrad Institute of Pulp and Paper Industry. This period shaped Smushkin’s idea of the field in which he would carry out his activities after graduating from university. Having become seriously interested in his specialty, in 1984 Smushkin took another important step in mastering the profession - he entered the master's program. Zakhar Davidovich successfully combines writing his PhD thesis with work in his specialty - as a researcher at the NPO "Gidrolizprom".
After defending his PhD, Zakhar Smushkin, having extensive knowledge of the specialty and work experience, easily receives the position of head of the technical department at the international enterprise Technoferm-Engineering. Thanks to the professionalism of the young specialist, the company manages to attract investment and subsequently modernize production technologies.
In 1992, having secured the support of the management of Technoferm-Engineering and colleagues, the Zingarevich brothers, Zakhar Smushkin formed the organization ZAO Ilim Pulp Enterprise, where he served as general director from its establishment until 2001. And from 2001 to 2007 - the post of chairman of the board of directors.
In parallel with this, from 1996 to 1998, Zakhar Smushkin was on the supervisory board of Vneshtorgbank (VTB), which allowed him to deepen his knowledge in the field of economics and finance, and since 2001 he has been a member of the Expert Council on Economic Development and Investments at Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Northwestern Federal District.
Initially, the organization was created as an exporter of cellulose in small volumes, but having quickly managed to accumulate capital from this activity, it switched entirely directly to the forestry industry. Ilim begins to actively integrate industry enterprises into its structure; during the first few years of operation, it acquires more than 30 logging enterprises. Among them, two of the largest can be noted: the Kotlas pulp and paper mill (acquired in 1994) and the Ust-Ilimsk timber processing complex (acquired in 2000).
Zakhar Davidovich Smushkin, as the general director of the Ilim group of companies, did the almost incredible: in the conditions of a stagnating economy against the backdrop of the collapse of the USSR, he united more than 30 enterprises into the largest paper industry concern in the Russian Federation. By doing this, he literally saved the industry itself, creating positive dynamics in the financial and technical performance indicators of enterprises; saved many jobs, and also gave a new round of development to the economy of the entire Russian North-Western District. By 2001, Ilim was already actively operating in European markets.
Zakhar Smushkin is not only a specialist in his field, a talented businessman and an effective manager, but also an innovator: for the first time in Russia, it was he who used vertical integration technology, which allows for more efficient management of both a large number of enterprises themselves and the business processes occurring in them .
In 2007, the Ilim holding was restructured into the Ilim Group open joint-stock company in order to increase operational efficiency. At the company, Zakhar Davidovich also currently holds the position of Chairman of the Board of Directors. Thanks to restructuring, the company, despite the crisis that hit the global economy in 2008, was able to maintain positive growth rates in technical and financial indicators.
At the moment, OJSC Ilim Group of Companies is the largest company in the forestry and pulp and paper industries not only in Russia, but also in Europe. Here are just some statistical indicators that allow us to assess the scale of its work:
Every year the company harvests raw wood in a volume of more than 10 million cubic meters.
The company's share in pulp, boxboard and paper produced in Russia is 75, 77 and 10%, respectively.
But Ilim is not limited to providing only the domestic market. Thus, by exporting bleached softwood and hardwood pulp to the People's Republic of China, the company covers one third of the country's one and a half billion population needs for this product.
As we can see from the statistics above, the group of companies has an unprecedented scale of production. In such conditions, it is especially important to comply with all prescribed environmental standards. Zakhar Davidovich, as head of Ilim, copes well with this task: the company has strict control over compliance with all necessary environmental standards. In addition to the obligatory part of his work in this area, Smushkin also carries out activities on his own initiative: he has membership in the Council for the Development of the Forestry Complex under the Government of the Russian Federation and makes recommendations for the improvement and development of the country’s forest wealth. In addition, Ilim provides all possible assistance in the implementation of environmental protection measures, both at the state and international levels. In general, control over compliance with environmental standards is carried out not only within the framework of obligations - by government organizations or the enterprise itself, but also by ordinary citizens: volunteers, employees of non-governmental institutions, simply concerned citizens, as well as students of schools and higher educational institutions are often involved in its implementation. One of the main vectors of Ilim’s work in the field of ecology is a positive balance of planting and cutting down forests, i.e. their growth. As already noted, Ilim also assists international organizations in the area of environmental protection. For example, in 2012, a group of companies began to cooperate with WWF. On the initiative of Zakhar Davidovich, the Verkhnevashkinsky forest in the Arkhangelsk region is under the trusteeship of Ilim. It is not protected at the legislative level, so the company leases it on a charitable basis under an agreement on a moratorium on logging in this area.
OJSC Ilim Group of Companies is one of the most transparent and accessible for civil control not only in the environmental but also in the financial sphere.
On the Russian market, the company is a leader in terms of the degree of innovation implementation: financial, technical, managerial. This allows it to maintain positive growth even during the period of aggravation of the influence of crisis factors in the country.
Zakhar Smushkin carries out his activities not only within the framework of managing the Ilim Group of Companies. In 2007, its restructuring made it possible to free up financial resources for business development in other areas.
Still in 2007, Smushkin opened the Domovoy (formerly Start) supermarket chain in St. Petersburg, which carries out wholesale and retail trade in goods for minor repairs, for home and everyday life.
In the same year, Smushkin created the construction development company “Start Development” in the cultural capital. At the moment, its largest and most famous project is the construction of the satellite city “Yuzhny”, located in the Pushkinsky district of St. Petersburg.
The second largest project of the Start Development company can be called the Doni-Verevo industrial park in the northern part of the Gatchina district of St. Petersburg. The park area will be 185 hectares; about 30 production and logistics (warehouse) enterprises will be located on this territory.
In addition, Start Development is also involved in a number of smaller scale projects. Among them we can note “Golden Keys” - a low-rise development area, “Tayberry” - plots for dacha development, as well as plots for housing construction in the Gatchina and Pushkinsky districts of St. Petersburg. The company's total "land bank" amounts to more than 40 million square meters. m.
The scale of Zakhar Davidovich’s activities is very large, and in general it can be said that he makes a huge contribution to the development of the economy of the North-Western District of the Russian Federation, and in particular his native St. Petersburg.
As is the case with the environmental side of the issue of the functioning of the largest pulp and paper enterprise, Zakhar Davidovich, owning a construction company, actively participates in the discussion of urban planning issues. As, for example, in 2016 at the II International Forum of Spatial Development, held on September 26-27 in St. Petersburg. Smushkin noted the relevance of the issue of polycentric development of the city against the backdrop of the implementation of such large projects as the construction of the satellite city “Yuzhny” in the Pushkinsky district and the public and business complex “Lakhta Center” in the Primorsky district, which involves, among other things, the construction of the tallest building in Russia and Europe skyscraper. According to Zakhar Davidovich, this vector of development of the northern capital will be formed due to the presence in both projects of plans to provide jobs, as well as their multifunctionality.
In addition to running a business and actively discussing issues related to it, Zakhar Smushkin carries out educational activities as part of initiative government and business groups, as well as as a lecturer in higher educational institutions.
He is a member of the State Technological University of Plant Polymers in St. Petersburg and is a member of its council, in addition, he has the status of an honorary doctor at the St. Petersburg State Forestry University named after S.M. Kirov. And as part of educational activities, it introduces the latest technologies into student curricula. In addition to giving lectures, Zakhar Smushkin provides jobs at the enterprises of the Ilim group for pre-diploma industrial practice.
In addition, Zakhar Davidovich is a member of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, where he distributes vertical integration mechanisms developed personally and streamlined at his own enterprises. These mechanisms have shown effectiveness in bringing economic sectors out of stagnation using the example of Ilim.
Smushkin is also a member of the Council for the Development of the Forestry Complex of the Russian Federation under the Government of the Russian Federation, and has proven himself well at the highest government levels. Thus, Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev, Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, notes that Zakhar Davidovich is a very valuable specialist in the forestry industry.
Zakhar Davidovich Smushkin, through his activities, makes an invaluable contribution not only to the development of the Russian economy, but also strives to modernize the areas in which he does business, without forgetting about the environment. Also, one cannot underestimate his contribution to the training of new personnel - he teaches and motivates students with his knowledge and his own example.
In general, Smushkin’s biography is an illustrative example of how a person from a simple family, thanks to his enthusiasm and perseverance, can achieve very great heights. It is worth giving a list of his most significant achievements:
Creation of the largest cardboard and pulp production company in Russia and Europe.
He was the first in the Russian Federation to introduce the technology of vertical integration of enterprises.
He is a member of the Presidium of the Russian Society of Entrepreneurs.
Honorary Doctor at the St. Petersburg State Forestry University named after S. M. Kirov, Honorary Professor at the St. Petersburg State Technological University of Plant Polymers.
However, as the latest news says, in January 2017, Zakhar Smushkin entered the TOP 30 most influential people in St. Petersburg, taking 29th place. The project of a satellite city, which is being promoted by a businessman, is being discussed by the federal center and Smolny; in general, in society, the very idea of such a construction of a city of a new format evokes neutral and positive emotions: people will receive comfortable, comfortable residential areas, the city will receive investments (for example, it was recently announced signing of an agreement between IBM Corporation and the Start-Development company on technological cooperation in the design and construction of a satellite city).
Family, hobbies
In addition to the fact that Zakhar Smushkin is a very successful businessman, he is also an exemplary family man. He and his wife are raising a son. Otherwise, little is known about his personal life, since he and his family do not seek to shock the media and lead a non-public, rather modest life. Zakhar Davidovich names chess and tennis among his hobbies. In addition, he is passionate about collecting paintings, preferring Russian painters at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, among them he notes Vrubel as his favorite artist.
However, Smushkin’s interest in the world of art is not limited only to Russian painters. Thus, on November 12, 2016, the Small Hermitage opened an exhibition of Japanese art from the Meiji era entitled “Perfection in Details”. All exhibits for it were provided by Zakhar Davidovich from his personal collection, carefully collected over a fairly long period of time.
As the businessman himself noted, working in the “material world” makes a person more cynical and pragmatic, while collecting art, including arts and crafts, promotes spiritual development and knowledge of the world. The exhibits presented at the exhibition and the skill with which they were made reflect the evolution of many philosophical issues of humanity.
In the future, Smushkin’s entire personal collection will be placed on permanent display in a museum in the satellite city of Yuzhny, since, according to the businessman, work on this particular project prompted him to start collecting.
Family
About the personal life of a businessman Zahara Smushkina not much is known.
His wife and adult son are not public people. The media only report that the Smushkin family values intellectual and sports leisure - chess, tennis, collecting art.
Biography and business
While still in school, Zakhar Smushkin decided to connect his future with forestry activities and entered the Leningrad Institute of Pulp and Paper Industry.
At the university, Smushkin showed himself to be a promising student, and in 1984 he received recommendations for graduate study. As a result of defending his candidate's dissertation, Smushkin was awarded the degree of Candidate of Sciences.
Zakhar Smushkin began his career at the Hydrolizprom research and production association as a research assistant, where, according to his own recollections, he gained the experience necessary for the effective development of the subordinate structures of the enterprise.
In 1990, the career step for Smushkin was the transition to the Tekhnoferm-Engineering company to the position of head of the technical department. The new employee soon achieved significant influence in matters of enterprise management and began to modernize production processes and search for new partners and investors.
The company became crowded within the joint venture, management decided to restructure and enlarge.
On April 30, 1992, Ilim Pulp Enterprise CJSC was created. The founders of the new company, along with Technoferm-Engineering, were the Ust-Ilimsk timber industry complex and the Swiss transnational concern Intertsez. Zakhar Smushkin became the general director of the newly formed joint-stock company.
At the beginning of its existence, Ilim was a small company exporting cellulose abroad, but rather quickly reoriented itself from trade directly to timber production.
Smushkin was involved in the development of the Ilim company for about ten years. During this time, the company became the owner of three dozen initially disoriented and bloodless plants.
The largest of them are the Kotlas Pulp and Paper Mill and the Ust-Ilimsk Timber Processing Plant, purchased in 1994 and 2000, respectively. The company has been persistently pursuing their acquisition for more than one year.
In addition, Smushkin’s company bought a prevailing stake in the Bratsk forestry complex, which became one of the most efficient enterprises of the holding.
In a fairly short period of time, thanks to the management skills of Zakhar Smushkin, an industry that was in deep stagnation was literally pieced together. In many respects, the restoration of the economy of the North-West region of the Russian Federation and the timber industry as a whole is due to the effective functioning of Ilim.
In 2001, Zakhar Smushkin became the head of the board of directors of the Ilim holding. The businessman increased his authority in the market, maintaining not only the previous volumes of activity, but also ensuring profit growth.
In 2007, OJSC Ilim Group appeared on the international market. International Paper, a transcontinental giant in the field of logging and production of pulp and related products, decided to invest in the renewal of the holding.
Cooperation with a large American company imposed additional obligations on the holding in the field of compliance with the requirements of legislation not only of the Russian Federation, but also of the United States, which was reflected in the tightening of Ilim’s internal audit. At the same time, Smushkin retained the post of Chairman of the Board of Directors, continuing to this day to manage the strategic development of Ilim Group.
At the end of 2016, the Ilim Group is the most influential conglomerate in Russia and European countries, sixth in the list of global producers and harvesters of forest resources.
Ilim has the largest fleet of modern logging equipment in Russia, thanks to which over 10 million cubic meters are produced per year on an area of 30 thousand hectares. m of wood raw materials. He owns three-quarters of the pulp produced in our country, a fifth of the cardboard market and a tenth of the Russian paper market.
Based in St. Petersburg, Zakhar Smushkin’s group has representative offices in Moscow, Arkhangelsk and Irkutsk, as well as branches in cities and towns close to the places of procurement and production (Koryazhma, Bratsk, Ust-Ilimsk, etc.).
In light of the events that led to the formation of the Ilim Group in 2007, Zakhar Smushkin decided to invest his own funds in creating a network of retail enterprises. In 2006, several do-it-yourself format stores called “Start” opened in St. Petersburg, representing goods for repair and improvement.
Today the network has been reformatted and includes Domovoy home goods stores and several Start hypermarkets, offering everything for repairs and construction. All of them are located in the largest cities of Russia.
The year 2007 was marked by the appearance on the market of Start Development OJSC, which today is one of the leaders in the construction market of the North-Western District. Today, "Start Development" is developing an unprecedented project - the construction of the satellite city "Yuzhny" in the Pushkinsky district of the Leningrad region.
Today, Smushkin announces attracting investments in the amount of more than 209 billion rubles. For the purposes of implementing the project, more than 2,012 hectares were purchased on both sides along the M20 highway (Kyiv highway). In 2011, the project was given strategic status. For Russia, "Yuzhny" will become one of the largest projects for the integrated development of the territory. The total area of residential real estate will be 4.9 million square meters. m., which is designed for at least 170 thousand people, commercial real estate with an area of 1.5 million sq. m. m. is designed to create more than 60 thousand jobs. Residents will be provided with recreational areas and all the necessary infrastructure - 60 kindergartens, 30 schools, 10 medical centers. "Yuzhny" will be represented by low-rise buildings with housing designed for average income. The total duration of the project, essentially building a city from scratch, is only 19 years.
In his public speeches, Zakhar Davidovich Smushkin has repeatedly noted that a polycentric path of economic development, that is, the presence of several economic centers, is very important for St. Petersburg. And the goal of implementing the Yuzhny satellite city project is precisely the formation of a new center of the city’s agglomeration.
Already at the first stage of the project, Zakhar Davidovich provided the area for the construction of one company, and not the pool, as previously assumed. Such measures will ensure not only careful control, but also the unity of the architecture of the buildings being erected.
This project is unique in its kind. According to the plan, the infrastructure in Yuzhny will be integrated into the environment - for example, municipal transport will run on electricity (so-called electric cars), and lighting of street crossings will be provided by solar panels. Several applications will be created for residents, with which they can find the nearest stop, track public transport routes, make an appointment with a doctor or maintain a medical record.
“Yuzhny” is also intended to become a kind of silicon valley, since it will host the construction of the innovation center “Innograd of Science and Technology” on the basis of ITMO (St. Petersburg National Research University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics). Its main goal is the creation, localization and development of international research, production and educational clusters. Innograd's target specialization will be photonics, quantum technologies, robotics, and the creation of new technological materials.
The construction of an entire city also poses the task of solving the transport issue. Already at this stage, the Kiev highway has been reconstructed to six lanes, and an interchange has been built on the project territory. A light rail line will be installed in the closest satellite city. In addition, the proximity of Yuzhny to several transport highways (M11, M10, Ring Road) and the presence of a railway line and two stations on its territory will allow residents to get to the center of St. Petersburg in 30 minutes.
In general, the implementation of the project will be able to attract investment in many industries, including logistics, trade, production of building materials, and consumer services, thus increasing the investment attractiveness of St. Petersburg.
Another large project owned by the Start Development company is Doni-Verevo, an industrial park in the Gatchina district of St. Petersburg. The area of 185 hectares will house more than 30 logistics and manufacturing enterprises.
It is known that the timber merchant is engaged in charity work without showing off this activity. According to rumors, Zakhar Smushkin takes the problems of people with disabilities to heart. “The Ilim Group creates jobs for them, and in the Domovoy and Start networks, disabled people enjoy support, both technically and socially.
Zakhar Smushkin’s personal initiative was to prevent staff reductions even in the current difficult period, caused by tense relations with the EU countries and demonstrating a serious drop in export volumes.
Politics, social activities
In 1999, Zakhar Smushkin became a member of the State Expert Council for Economic Development and Investment under the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Northwestern Federal District.
Zakhar Smushkin is a member of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, where he shares his experience in creating effective strategic plans for production development.
On December 16, Zakhar Davidovich made a report at a meeting of the Presidium of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of St. Petersburg. He noted the importance of attracting highly qualified personnel to the northern capital, and also raised the issue of intensifying investment attraction for the implementation of the city’s socio-economic development strategy for the period until 2030.
The specifics of the timber industry are reflected in Smushkin’s activities in the presidium of the Confederation of Timber Industry of the North-Western District of Russia.
The biography of Zakhar Smushkin also includes active educational activities. He is an honorary professor at the State Technological University of Plant Polymers in St. Petersburg.
St. Petersburg State Forestry University named after S.M. Kirov awarded Zakhar Smushkin an honorary doctorate.
Smushkin cooperates quite actively with educational institutions: he gives lectures and helps senior students during practical training - providing them with jobs in companies of the Ilim group.
One of Ilim's priorities is maintaining a positive balance in planting and cutting down forests. Zakhar Davidovich, as a member of the forestry complex development council, actively contributes to the implementation of its activities, making recommendations for improving and developing the state of the forest wealth of the Russian Federation.
At the second International Spatial Development Forum, held on September 26-27 in St. Petersburg, Smushkin voiced his own concept of economic development of the northern capital - polycentrism. In his opinion, not one economic center is developing in the city, but at least two. They will be the business public complex "Lakhta-Center" in the Primorsky district and the satellite city "Yuzhny" in Pushkinskoye (north and south of the Leningrad region).
Income
In the list of the wealthiest St. Petersburg residents, Smushkin occupies sixth position; the publication “Business Petersburg” estimates his income at 108 billion rubles.
In Russia, Zakhar Davidovich Smushkin ranks 37th in the ranking of successful businessmen, 52nd place is assigned to him in terms of capital.
Rumors
In 1996, Zakhar Smushkin joined the VTB Supervisory Board, on which he served until 1998. Participation in the work of the council brought dividends, in particular in the form of expanded opportunities to resolve the financial and economic issues of one’s own enterprise, which led to even greater progress for Ilim Pulp Enterprise.
Experts linked the success of the Ilim Group with the principles of reverse vertical integration of the enterprise’s development. The strategic decisions of Zakhar Smushkin still give Ilim business trump cards that have allowed it to remain among the leading players in the economic arena for more than 20 years.
As part of cooperation with WWF, the Ilim Group signed an agreement to suspend logging activities in a limited territory of the Arkhangelsk region, which is a unique, practically undisturbed biogeocenosis. Since this territory is not protected at the legislative level, the company entered into a lease agreement with a moratorium on logging on a charitable basis.
In 2016, the businessman exhibited an extensive collection of decorative and applied arts by Japanese masters of the Meiji era at the Hermitage. He collected it on his own over the course of 7 years, and currently the collection contains more than 700 exhibits. In addition, in the future Smushkin plans to transfer it to a permanent exhibition in the museum of the satellite city of Yuzhny. The businessman plans to create a contemporary art gallery in the northern capital, the collection of which could also include private collections of entrepreneurs.
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