Alexander Nesis

Born in Leningrad in 1962, Nesis studied radiochemistry at the prestigious Lensovet Leningrad Institute of Technology. After graduation he worked as master supervisor at the Baltic Shipbuilding Yard (the largest and one of the oldest in Russia, est. 1856), which produced a variety of ships including nuclear icebreakers and submarines.[1][2] In the early 1990s, Nesis left the shipyard to set out as an entrepreneur, opting to work for himself rather than for the state.[3]

Together with a small group of business partners, he first concentrated on the production of materials derived from uranium deposits located in the deserts of Uzbekistan.[4] In 1991, the same group of entrepreneurs embarked upon a new venture to invest in the shipbuilding and metals industries.[5] In 1993, their company became known as the ICT Group. In the same year, having made his fortune, Nesis returned to the Baltic Shipbuilding Yards as its controlling shareholder and Head of Board of Directors.

The ICT ('Investments, Construction, Technologies') Group, founded by Nesis in the early 1990s, is now one of the largest privately owned investment and industrial companies in Russia. It is headquartered in Moscow and has a large office in St. Petersburg. It invests in, develops and manages assets in wide range of industries, including the banking and financial industry, metals and mining, precious metal production, heavy engineering, logistics, construction and development.[4]

At present, the portfolio of assets under the Group's management includes such recognized leaders in their respective industries as NOMOS-BANK, Khanty-Mansi Bank, Polymetal and Tikhvin Freight Car Building Plant. The Group also holds large equity stakes in the potash producer Uralkali and Baltic Leasing.[6] The group's assets are located primarily in Russia, but it also has interests in Kazakhstan. According to ICT's website, the total value of its assets under management stands at $8 billion.[4]

Nesis and the ICT Group's preferred business strategy is to set up a project and grow it until it can be run independently. ICT has been described as a kind of incubator, which holds on to investments while they are in the design or technical research stage before spinning them out separately when they have reached a critical mass.[4] In terms of engineering, he places a strong emphasis on the design stage: "If you make a mistake at the design stage, that's very difficult to repair. If you make a mistake at the construction page, it's easier to repair [...] it's very important to find the right technology solution."[7]

• President of the ICT Group
• Nesis served as Chairman of the Board of Directors at OAO Baltiysky Zavod between 1993 and 1998 and 2002-2005
• Acted as General Director and a member of the Board of Directors at Polymetal, 1998–2003
• Serves as Member of the Board of Directors at OAO Uralkali, 2010–present

As of March 2012, Forbes put Nesis's personal wealth at approximately $3.1 billion, putting him at No.367 in its list of billionaires and making him No.31 in Russia.[8]