Ivan Bakanov was born in Kryvyi Rih. He is a childhood friend of Volodymyr Zelensky. They studied together and later worked over different projects, in particular, LLC Kvartal 95 Studio. Ivan Bakanov graduated from the Kyiv National Economic University and the Academy of Labor, Social Relations and Tourism ; specialty – “Court, advocacy and prosecution”. He was the Head of LLC Kvartal 95 from January 2013 and LLC Kvartal 95 Studio since December 2013. Ivan Bakanov was part of the Volodymyr Zelensky's team during 2019 presidential campaign. He was the leader of the Servant of the People party from 2017 to 2019.
Appointment to the SBU
On 22 May 2019 President Zelensky appointed Bakanov the First Deputy Chief of the Security Service of Ukraine - the Chief of the Main Directorate on Fight against Corruption and Organized Crime of the Central Department of the Security Service. Bakanov was appointed as a Member of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine on 28 May 2019. On 29 May the SBU informed that Bakanov would hold the post of the Deputy Head of the Security Service of Ukraine since 3 June. The reason for that was the vacation of the Head of the SBU Vasyl Hrytsak. Bakanov was awarded with the military rank of "lieutenant" in the end of May 2019 in order to have an access to classified information. Member of the National Council on Anti-Corruption Policy. Bakanov was officially appointed as the Head of the Security Service of Ukraine by parliament on 29 August 2019. Bakanov said during his address to the MPs:
Talking about the whole SBU reform, I suppose, we’ll need three years at least. Talking about first efficient steps, I presume, one year will be enough. - Ivan Bakanov, 29 August, 2019
Activities as the Head of the Security Service of Ukraine
The Security Service of Ukraine has conducted several notable operations under Bakanov’s leadership. In particular, one of the leaders of the Islamic State extremist group Al-Bara Shishani, who had been hiding in Ukraine, was apprehended. Dozens of corruption schemes were exposed, costing the state hundreds of millions of dollars, especially in the defense sphere. 50 Ukrainian officials were convicted and 150 received notices of suspicion. The SBU detained the largest in Ukraine’s history contraband batch of tobacco amounting to UAH 120 million. The SBU became more focused on national security, counterintelligence, it systematically conducts special operations in eastern Ukraine, counteracts the activities of Russian hackers. Bakanov himself said that the SBU should become more efficient – not only deal with the consequences, but also neutralize threats in the bud. A new law “On the SBU”, drafted under Bakanov’s leadership, is according to its makers to gain such results. In February 2020 it was expected to be passed in spring 2020. According to human rights lawyer Volodymyr Yavorsky the propesed law will “give virtually unlimited and uncontrolled powers to the SBU which are not typical for democratic countries.”
Family
Married. His wife is Oksana Lazarenko. His son Artur is a student of the Kyiv National Economic University. Bakanov's wife has is a former Russian citizen, in June 2019 her husband stated that she is in line to get Ukrainian citizenship. She since 1998 lived and works in Ukraine with a permanent residence permit. According to Bakanov's 2019 e-declarations Oksana is since 2019 a citizen of Ukraine.
