Roman Rotenberg


Roman Rotenberg is a business man and entrepreneur who was born on 7 April 1981 in Leningrad, the USSR. He holds the following posts: first vice-president of the Russian Ice Hockey Federation, head of the Russia national ice hockey team staff including the analytical and statistical departments, Gazprombank vice-president, member of the Kontinental Hockey League board of directors, Deputy Chairman of the KHL board, Deputy Chairman of the SKA Hockey Club board of directors, SKA vice-president, founder of the Doctor Sport company Vitawin brand which deals with the distribution of sports nutrition. Founder of a number of other companies in the sports marketing, media and sports equipment markets. He is also active in these following fields: owner of the Hartwall Arena stadium, chairman of the Arena Events board of directors and is Gazprom Export's consultant on external communications.

Biography

Roman Rotenberg was born in Leningrad, the Soviet Union, in 1981. Irina Haranen, his mother, had a good job in the city's commercial management, while his father Boris Rotenberg, a Russian Master of Sport and a judo coach, taught self-defence at the military academy. His grandfather was of Jewish descent, and worked as a director at the Leningrad factory plant for "Krasnaya Zarya" telephone handsets. Mikko Haranen, his mother's grandfather, was an Ingrian born in the small village of Toksovo in Leningrad Region, where Boris and Irina once met In 1991, Roman's parents and his younger brother Boris made the decision to emigrate from Leningrad to Helsinki as Ingrian returnees. There, Roman, who had previously studied the English and Finnish language at school no.204 next to the Hermitage, went into the third class of a normal school and received Finnish citizenship. In Finland, Roman continued to compete in judo: since being five years old, his father had coached him and taken him to training camps. After turning 11, Roman started to train with a local ice hockey team. Upon leaving school, he went to a sports college and planned to become a professional hockey player.
In 1999, his father split up from his wife and returned to Saint Petersburg. By Roman's own admission, it would have been too risky to begin a sporting career. Despite his father's objection, Roman travelled to study in London. This was because his mother, who at that time owned a small business for the supply of gas condensate from Russia, demanded him to go there. After a year of preparation courses, Roman joined the European Business School London, where he studied international business. He earned a Business Management master's degree. Following his graduation, his father suggested that Roman stayed in London to work in a Barclays bank, while his mother wanted him to go back to Finland. In 2014, it became known that Roman has British citizenship.

Career

Upon his return to Russia in 2005, Roman decided not to join his father's and uncle Arkady's business, who were already well known entrepreneurs and SMP Bank owners. Instead, with his father's advice, he began his business career with Gazprom Export, a company with which Roman could use his international communications and language skills. He met Alexander Medvedev, Gazprom Export's CEO and also an enthusiastic hockey player. At the 2009 Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum, Roman spoke with Gazprombank representatives, the company which Roman had work experience with when studying in London. In order to work with their bank, Roman had to go through a three-year procedure to retrieve his Russian citizenship and to receive a Russian financial degree. At this moment in time, Roman is the company's vice-president and is responsible for attracting big name clients.

Ice hockey in Russia

In 2007, Medvedev developed the Kontinental Hockey League plan. In order to manage all league commercial contracts, the KHL marketing company was created. Roman was named the deputy general director. On the 20th of January 2015, Roman joined the KHL's board of directors. In 2011, SKA Hockey Club president Gennady Timchenko offered the position of club vice-president to Roman. On the 11th of December 2014, Roman became the Russian Ice Hockey Federation's first vice-president. He manages the cooperation between the RIHF and KHL and also manages marketing strategies and searches for new partners, He is also the head of the Russian national team staff, including the analytical and statistical departments. Since 2016, he has been a member of the IIHF's reforming system. In December 2016, he was granted official thanks from the Russian President Vladimir Putin for his contribution to sport and Russian ice hockey.

Honours

As RIHF first vice-president and team leader of the Russian national teams:
2015 World Championship silver medalist
2016 World Championship bronze medalist
2017 World Championship bronze medalist
Russia reached the semi-finals of the 2016 World Cup of Hockey in Toronto. This was the first time since 2002 when Russia made the final four of a best-on-best competition.
2016 World Junior Championship silver medalist
2017 World Junior Championship bronze medalist
Under Roman Rotenberg's leadership, the Red Machine brand was revamped and the Russian Ice Hockey Federation was comprehensively rebranded. Russian national teams were given a modern video analysis system, which is aimed at increasing the quality of players' training.
As HC SKA's vice-president:
Two time Gagarin Cup winner
Russian champion
Continent Cup winner
Holder of the Valentin Sych prize for the KHL's best club leader
Founder of the Sportconcept holding, which includes the Doctor Sport company and Rossport. 450 people are employed by Sportconcept, and the holding's annual revenue is two billion rubles. Subsequently, the company was acquired by a group of investors.

Business in Russia

In autumn 2016, the Doctor Sport company was founded which is a sports nutrition distributor. SMP Bank gave Doctor Sport a 20 million budget for three years. The company stated that it aims to give athletes a high quality and anti-doping diet. The idea to create a Russian sports nutrition company belongs to Alexander Medvedev. In 2010, he asked Roman Rotenberg to speak to the KHL about the issue of using Russian sports nutrition in the KHL. The GNC American company, one of the biggest sports nutrition, vitamin, energy and protein distributors, was used as a sample business model. A year after its launch, Rotenberg stated that Doctor Sport had already broken even in operating terms. In July 2015, Doctor Sport already had 50 outlets, making it one of Russia's biggest companies on the sports nutrition market. Its sole owner was SMP Bank. It is a sponsor of IHC SKA.
In December 2014, Roman Rotenberg wanted to purchase 80% of the Telesport marketing agency owned by Petr Makarenko. The parties didn’t publish the exact transaction figure, but it was estimated to be around several billion roubles. Telesport is the biggest player on the sports marketing market, it manages sports facilities and holds the right to show sporting competitions in Russia. In 2015, it became known that the transaction wasn’t fully completed. The reason was that there are serious differences between Telesport and the Russian Football Union. In 2016, a group of investors, which included Roman Rotenberg, decided not to buy Telesport.
In July 2015, it was announced that Rotenberg had the aim of purchasing the Rossport sewing and print manufacturing company. Rossport is the main supplier for Russian sports clubs, including IHC SKA. It was reported that the deal would include the company's Kostroma and Dedovsk factories. According to experts’ estimates, the share would be around 60 million roubles, with the overall business evaluated in the range of 75-80 million roubles.
Founder of the Sportconcept holding, which unites companies in the field of sports marketing, distribution of sporting products, the management and design of sporting complexes and facilities, supply of equipment for sporting arenas.
The holding companies have many years of experience in managing, operating and equipping ice hockey arenas and multi functional sports complexes, developing their own Russian production and sewing equipment and merchandise for famous brands. The companies engage in the retail and wholesale sale of sports production. Subsequently, the company was acquired by a group of investors.

Business in Finland

In summer 2013, Rotenberg's family and Gennady Timchenko bought the company Arena Events Oy, which owns 44,98% of Helsinki's Hartwall Arena. In the autumn of that year, they purchased 49% of Jokerit Helsinki ice hockey club, which was joining the KHL in the 2014/2015 season. In October 2014, Roman Rotenberg bought out the parts which his father and uncle owned in the deal. They were both on the USA's sanctions list. The Langvik Capital company, which is made up of a hotel and business hall not far away from Helsinki, acted as the intermediary. Roman Rotenberg also owns the Langvik Capital company. Arena Events Oy shares are divided out as follows: Langvik Capital – 49.5%, Roman Rotenberg 1%, White Anchor – 49.5%.

Sanctions

On July 30, 2015, Roman Rotenberg and the Oy Langvik Capital company were included in the USA financial ministry's sanctions list along with eleven other individuals and entities.

Family

Father – Boris Romanovich Rotenberg, businessman, Russian Judo Federation vice-president, co-owner of SMP Bank.
Brother – Boris Borisovich Rotenberg, football, FC Lokomotiv Moscow defender
Uncle – Arkady Romanovich Rotenberg, billionaire, Russian Judo first vice-president, co-owner of SMP Bank.
Cousin – Igor Arkadevich Rotenberg, businessman, top-manager.