Expert Group

At present Expert Group is a diversified international publishing and research group of companies. The Group besides Russia 's nationwide business weekly magazine Expert also includes four regional business weeklies in Russia - Expert Severo-Zapad (Northwest region ) , Expert Ural, Expert Sibir (Siberia and Far East) and Expert Volga , as well as international publications Expert Kazakhstan and Expert Ukraina ( Ukraine ). Expert Group also includes several research centers, which have already gained high prestige in the world - Expert RA Rating Agency, Expert-DATA Marketing Agency, Analytical Centre Expert and Expert Innovation Bureau.

Expert magazine being a core of the Group is among Russia 's most influential business weeklies. During ten years of its existence Expert not only survived political and economic hardships in Russia and preserved its readership, but also managed to increase their number and to establish its position as a definite leader among its peers.

Expert Group aims to provide a comprehensive range of information and research products and services assisting Russian companies to grow and helping them understand current complex economic and business trends. One of our key strategic priorities is conducting surveys of the Russian market in general and its particular sectors and segments, as well as analysis and forecasting of the Russian economy. Within this strategy in 2000 we launched a detailed survey Lifestyle of the Russian Middle Class, which analyses preferences and values of Russia 's most active group of consumers. Since 2001 we also hold annual Contest of Russian Innovations aimed at identifying key achievements of Russia 's R&D and high-tech sectors in order to attract attention of public, authorities and business to these potentialities.

In 2004 editors and managers of Expert weekly bought back the minority stake previously owned by Profmedia holding; thus, Expert is now wholly owned by its editors and managers. In the years to come we aim to restructure assets of the group, re-organise management of the companies and projects within the group, as well as further integrate to increase efficiency and market value. While understanding the challenges of fast changing Russia's economic, political and media environments, Expert Group presses towards developing new technologies and adapting best practices to provide our readers and customers with objective, competent and timely information and analysis. Thus Expert weekly will remain the best magazine for Russia 's decision-makers.

Chairman of the Board,
Valery Fadeyev

Structure of business

History of the Group

1995	- Debut of Expert business weekly
1997	- Expert RA is established, the first rating agency in Russia
1997	- The first edition of The Seven Notes of Management, a collection of articles on the theory and practice of management, is published.
1998	- The first Annual reports Contest is held.
1999	- Expert Northwest, a regional supplement, is first published.
2000	- "Lifestyle of the Middle Class" launched, first study of lifestyle and consumer habits of the emerging Russian middle class.
2000	- Expert Ural regional supplement started.
2001	- The first Russian Innovations Contest is held.
2002	- Expert Analytical Centre is established.
2003	- Expert Sibir magazine is first published.
2003	- Expert Kazakhstan is launched.
2004	- Expert Ukraina (Ukraine) is first published.
2004	- Expert Group bought out the block of stocks of Expert magazine from Profmedia
2005	- Tenth anniversary of Expert magazine
2005	- The publishing group launched regional business weekly Expert Volga

PUBLISHING BUSINESS OF EXPERT GROUP

Expert business weekly Nationwide business weekly magazine Expert is published by a team of professional economists and journalists, who have a longstanding experience of work in the leading R&D centers and best business periodicals of the country. The first issue of Expert was published in July of 1995 - just only a month after it's team left Publishing House Komersant, where up to then they set going publishing Russia's first colored business weekly Komersant . Among members of the editorial board and permanent authors of Expert magazine there are 19 holders of scientific and academic degrees, who have experience in research and organizational management of R&D activities. In 1995 according to research results by the Institute for Sociology of the Russian Academy of Sciences three editors of Expert weekly - Nikita Kirichenko, Valery Fadeyev and Andrey Shmarov were ranked among 50 best Russian journalists. Our authors more than once won various contests in the nomination "business-press"; these contests have been carried out by the Central Bank of the Russian Federation , Russian Federation Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Federal Commission for Securities, Association of Russian Banks, Congress of Banks of Pacific Region, Russian Biographical Institute. All our knowledge and experience aim at assisting Russian companies in their development, helping them be better oriented in a complex world of modern economy and business. Regional and international projects of Expert magazine: Expert Severo-Zapad (Northwestern region) Expert Ural Expert Sibir (Siberia and Far East) Expert Volga Expert Kazakhstan Expert Ukraina (Ukraine) Gateway2Russia.com Branch and sectoral themes are widely covered both in the magazines and in the specialized supplements: Auto, Digital World , Insurance Panorama as well as in the supplements dedicated to situations in banking, power industry and timber complex.

Magazine Equipment: Market, Offers, and Prices Since 1996 Expert publishes a separate monthly supplement - magazine Equipment: Market, Offers, Prices addressed to all those working in a real sector of economy. The magazine publishes reviews of branch and sectoral equipment and hardware markets and presents comparative analysis of domestic and import equipment, which helps to make a correct choice while buying complex types of technical products. Substantial part of the magazine is dedicated to assessing effectiveness of investments into the real sector. The magazine also places high emphasis on issues of small- and medium-scale businesses.

Vesch Magazine(Item Magazine) Vesch Magazine has been published since 2000 as a supplement to Expert weekly. It is the first Russia 's publication, which regards design not only as a characteristic of architecture, but also as an important aspect of a day-to-day life. The magazine helps readership to orient in a realm of things and assists brands' owners to form correct relations with their most important target audience. Published materials link up such seemingly dissimilar themes as fashions and philosophy, arts and business, technologies and politics. In this combination of striking contrasts the essence of modern culture is revealed, where style became more than just a clothing, interior decoration or choice of a certain type of a car. Today style is a possibility to express oneself and find a place in a world of dynamically developing design. The columns of the magazine cover issues of fashions, interior design, urban construction, traveling and subtleties of consumption.

RESEARCH BUSINESS OF EXPERT GROUP

Expert RA Rating Agency Grishankov Dmitry Eduardovich - Director-General of Expert RA Rating Agency, Scientific editor of Expert weekly. Born on December 18 th 1959, graduated from Moscow Aviation Institute (systems analysis), Candidate of Technical Sciences. Professed at Moscow Aviation Institute and Moscow State University. Since 1992 worked as a leading expert in Komersant weekly. In 1995 being a member of the editorial staff participated in creating Expert magazine. Since 1997 - scientific editor of Expert magazine. In 1998 was appointed Director-General of Expert RA Agency. Board member of the Russian-US foundation Center of Insurance Information, board member of Agency for Regional Development and Public Council under the Ministry of Regional Development. Expert RA was created in 1997 with an aim of providing comprehensive analytical support to the companies working on the Russian market. Projects by Expert RA present classical credit ratings of companies in all sectors of economy, regions and municipal formations as well as ratings, characterizing various aspects of business social responsibility: corporate governance, ecological responsibility etc. Agency's ratings have been assigned to companies and regions in Russia , members of CIS and foreign countries. Excathedral list of major Russian companies "Expert- 400" is one of the key projects by Expert RA. This first in the history of Russia rating project of such magnitude and detailed elaboration has a ten-year-old history. While developing ratings we use information acquired directly from the member-companies of the surveys. The activity by the Agency includes conducting surveys in various branches of economy. Over 8 years of work Expert RA conducted more than 100 market surveys of chemical and petrochemical products, produce of metallurgical branch, construction materials, software, insurance, leasing and banking services etc., as well as foreign economic activity surveys. In assigning credit ratings Expert RA uses its own in-house methodological techniques, which take into consideration specifics and peculiarities of Russian economy. The methods and techniques of the Agency won recognition by the leading international audit and consulting companies PriceWaterHouseCoopers и Deloitte&Touche.

Expert-DATA Marketing Agency Year of establishing - 2000. The main project implemented by Expert-DATA Marketing Agency is a full-scale survey "Lifestyle of the Middle Class" aimed at revealing and studying dynamics of preferences and values of Russia 's most active group of consumers. In the course of survey we conduct a thorough research of the following markets: motor cars, shoes and clothing, household technical appliances, property, entertainment, furniture, tourism, insurance, finances, retail trade networks, print press and media. The feedback of these research waves therefore service the demands of the markets' players. The research was conceived and implemented by Expert-DATA Agency, which has accumulated enormous data file allowing precise forecasting further development of the society and consumer preferences.

Expert Analytical Centre Shmarov Andrey Igorevich - Director-General of Expert Analytical Centre and Director for special projects of Expert weekly. Born in 1955. In 1977 he graduated from the Economics Faculty of the Moscow State University; Candidate of Sciences (Economics). During 1977-1992 worked in Scientific-Research Institute for Economics under the USSR State Planning Committee first as a research fellow and afterwards as a Chief of Sector. In 1992-1995 served as a Deputy of the Editor-in-Chief in Kommersant publishing house. From 1995 is working in CJSC Expert Magazine. Year of establishing - 2002. At present the following major research projects are being implemented: Krasnoyarsk investment forum (together with administration of Krasnoyarsk Territory - annual project). Discussing strategy of the Territory's development, territorial competitive advantages, arising investments and social environment. Corporate governance and investment climate in Russia and in post-Soviet areas - events, investors' opinions. Study and demonstrating changes in foreign investors' perception of business environment in Russia, availability of effective and rapidly growing businesses outside raw materials sector, introducing to potential investors those Russian companies, which build up transpired effective business and observe the rights of shareholders. Projects on economics in branches of fuel and energy and metallurgy complexes. Strategies of major companies and development restrains in various branches, effects of taxation system on competitiveness of the main players, assessing possible trends in state policy for supporting branches within the framework of industrial policy. Social doctrine for modern Russia - principles and approaches to social sphere, effective social investments, zones of responsibility of the state (on federal and regional levels), business and citizenry. Expert Analytical Centre carries out research of social and economic problems and arranges for their public discussion at conferences and in mass media with participation of executives of government bodies and major Russian companies.

Expert Innovation Bureau Medovnikov Dan Stanislavovich - editor of Expert weekly Innovations Department, the Head of Expert Innovation Bureau. Born on January 17 th , 1969. Graduated from Physics Faculty of the Moscow State University. From 1994 to 1995 headed Research group of high-tech markets in Mobile Information Agency. In June of 1996 got fixed up in a job in Expert weekly as Chief of Markets Conjuncture Group. In 1998 was appointed Editor of Branches and Markets Department. Since 2001 Mr. Medovnikov has been an organizer and director of the Russian Innovations Contest and Editor of Innovations Department of Expert magazine. Since 2005 is the head of Expert Innovation Bureau. Year of establishing: 2001. "Expert-Innovations" is a special project of CJSC Expert Magazine in the area of innovations activity; the basis of the project's launching constituted successful four-year practice of running annual Russian Innovations Contests. Projects of Innovation Bureau: - The Contest of Russian Innovations was organized in 2001 by Expert weekly and is carried out with support of the Russian Federation Ministry for Education and Science, Atomic Energy Federal Agency and with participation of the Russian Federation Ministry of Information Technologies and Communication. The Contest is aimed at developing an independent tool for assessing efficiency of innovations projects, promoting creation of effective innovations structure in the country; - Innovations Digest; - Innovations Projects Database; - Information and Reference Edition Sovetnik Innovatora (Innovator's Adviser). Practice of running the Contest revealed real need of information community in on-line and quality information on various aspects of innovation activity and state of innovations domain in Russia, thus allowing the Expert-Innovations group to offer the market a series of information and consulting products and services.